Stolen
by xTamashii
Summary: Amu Hinamori is a prodigy author. Ikuto Tsukiyomi is the mysterious but sexy thief. What if he steals something more valuable than jewels, however? The consequences may be worse than either can imagine. -AmuxIkuto-
1. Black and White Lifestyle

Hi there! Go Amuto :3

Welcome to my first ever Shugo Chara fic. It will, of course be AU since anyone who has read any of my other works knows I write mostly AU.

Ikuto is a sexy beast and Amu is the one he likes, so hell, just put them together since they're both so cute anyways. :P

Alright, read and review!

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**Stolen**

_Part One:_

Black and White Lifestyle

* * *

_**Wishing for something, somehow**_

_**  
You can hear the voice calling those two souls, in the bottom of your the heart**_

_**  
Come on, grasp that outstretched hand**_

_**  
Right now it's not the time to stand still**_

_**  
In this monochrome world...**_

_**-Metamorphose by Asriel**_

* * *

_It had been then. Probably at least seven years ago._

_Amu Hinamori was packing. This place held far too many memories, memories that now pained her._

_She sighed heavily and wearily. The now 26 year old woman had once been a lovely and very famous author at the tender age of 19. People had practically worshiped the ground she walked on, and yet she herself could have cared less._

_She strode over to her desk, making sure she had all of her notebooks._

_  
She felt a pang in her heart as she found the one journal she had stowed away in anger and sadness, disgusted at the pain in her heart whenever she glanced at it. _

_  
She tenderly pressed her forehead to the journal, feeling tears sting her eyes as she closed them._

_She knew this would be something she would forever cry about. She had known, yet she forced herself to hold the sadness in, to pull through for her career and most of all, for herself. She didn't want to tear herself apart over something like this._

_  
Yet it wasn't. _He _was the most significant part of her life, it wouldn't ever be easy to get over him..._

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Sleep would not come.

She focused on the steady ticking of the clock and breathed evenly, closing her eyes and hoping for her tired body to win over her wide awake mind.

Not to her surprise, it didn't happen.

Her eyes flew open and she sat straight up in bed, running one hand through her messy, bubblegum pink locks. She glanced blearily at the clock with heavy-lidded golden eyes. 12:32 AM. She had to wake up early tomorrow so she and her editor could talk about her next book.

Rubbing her eyes as she yawned, she stood up and shuffled over to her desk, turning on the lamp and sitting contentedly in the cushioned chair. She flexed her fingers before reaching for where she kept her pens and pencils.

Snatching a pencil at random, she then turned to a stack of notebooks that were practically as tall as her desk.

In many of these notebooks were short stories, song lyrics, or poetry she tended to write when it was late like this and her mind just couldn't rest. _A curse, _she figured, _for being an author._

She placed the tip of the pencil at the top of a fresh, blank page biting her lip and scrunching her forehead as she tried to sift through the many ideas that were in her mind.

Shaking her head, she leaned back, chewing on the end of the pencil lightly as she stared at the dark ceiling, dimly illuminated by the light of her desk lamp.

Despite being 19 years of age, she had become a talented and fairly well-known author. Her career had started off with short stories, and before she knew it, she was writing novels and the year was not yet over. She usually finished writing quickly since she almost never got writer's block. In high school, her teachers called her essays 'masterpieces' or 'simply flawless.' Thus she was labeled as a prodigy at the end of her junior year. Writing had always been a passion of hers, but being a prodigy? Her? She had thought it very unlikely at the time. It just wasn't something she could easily comprehend.

Sitting up again, for the first time in a long time, she decided she didn't know what to write. Despite the fact that she knew sleep would not come very quickly, there was no other option.

Sighing, she placed her pencil on top of the open page and turned the lamp off before shuffling back over to bed and curling up underneath the covers.

Amu Hinamori. One of the youngest popular authors. The prodigy.

She buried her face in her pillow.

She had never once believed any of these labels people gave her. Not even once.

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Amu blinked against the harsh sunlight that filtered in through her window.

Sitting up in bed, she rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock at her bedside. Exactly 9 AM. The same time she woke up every morning.

Yawning and stretching, she shuffled to the kitchen to get some breakfast. She had about another three hours before classes began, so it should be fine. She groaned as she remembered she had that meeting with her editor.

It wasn't that she minded her editor, she was a rather friendly older woman and Amu was fond of her, it was just that meetings with her editor lasted for so long Amu began to tire of them and found them rather troublesome. The woman could talk for hours without tiring.

She stood musing to herself as she waited for the chime on the toaster that signaled the toast was ready. Her life wasn't complicated; it never had been. If anything, it had always been cut and dry and rather simple. Sure, it was not easy task finishing four novels in one year, but there was no confusion on where her life was going. She would wake up, go to school, do something related to her book or writing, then sleep. The next day would be very similar, and so would the next, and the one after that. Her life was an unending cycle that never changed.

Her life could be compared to a black and white painting. No color, just varying shades of the two colors, and it was so..._dull._ Yes, that was her life exactly. Black and white, and not much in between.

She pulled the two pieces of sufficiently browned toast from the toaster and placed the two between her teeth as she went outside to get the newspaper. She munched on the toast as she gathered the daily newspaper and a magazine and flipped open the front page.

Lately, the news had been covering a story about a thief. Not just any thief, but a thief who had stolen millions of dollars worth of valuables.

As she entered her house again and sat down comfortably in an armchair, crossing her legs as she unfurled the newspaper, scanning the inside pages. Finding nothing of great importance (spare a few reviews of her books which she read on occasion), she flipped to the front page. As expected, it was the thief. They had somehow managed to get a photograph of him. She almost choked on her toast when she saw it.

Amu was the kind of person who would assume evildoers were hideous on the outside as well on the inside. Or at least, that was how _she _wrote them. But this photograph...was completely unexpected.

Although the picture wasn't very clear and ironically in black and white, she couldn't see clearly. However, from what she could see, this thief was...well, _stunning. _For a guy, anyway.

He had a smirk that was both mischievous and sexy. Dark eyes, dark hair, and that smirk as he fled. It was almost as though he had deliberately smiled at the camera during the capture of this picture. What a guy.

Shaking her head at the nerve, she closed the newspaper and brushed the crumbs off her hands as she stood, stretching.

She returned to her room to change, and figured that a walk in the town would be nice. Then she could head right to school, no problem.

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Exhausted. So very, very, exhausted. That was the only thought in her head as she dragged herself out of her editor's office. So _exhausted._

Her classes today had been especially difficult, and her editor had not helped by telling her to start on her new book today. All she wanted was to go home, and just collapse on her bed without having to think. Then remembering that she had a long walk home, she groaned quietly as she exited the building.

The street lamps were on and the night sky wasn't as dark as it could be. The moon was full, for which she was somewhat grateful. Pulling her schoolbag more comfortably over her shoulder, she set off down the sidewalk to make the journey home.

Most young people her age were driving. But no, her parents had never allowed her even think about driving, much less letting her get a license. That was something that she had always been teased about. She was teased about a lot of things, so much so that she felt mostly immune.

She blinked tiredly, walking slowly as she half dragged her feet. It would be a miracle if she made it home. Maybe she could just crash in some alleyway...

Or perhaps not. She did have some dignity.

Something about tonight felt very unnerving. What it was she couldn't quite tell, but she felt uncomfortable, and that woke her up a little. She stood a little straighter and picked up her feet a bit.

Amu did not like this uneasy feeling. Something just didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

She was unaccustomed to feeling such discomfort. The tiring walk home had always been the same. It was always just tiring.

And that was it—it never was anything else other than tiring. Clutching her bag closer to her side as her eyes darted around nervously, she picked up her pace even more, taking longer, faster strides. She was hardly paying much attention to her surroundings.

Before she knew it, she was running. Her hear was pounding, her breathing ragged and her already weary legs felt heavy and sore.

When had she started being chased? But there was unmistakably someone behind her; she could see whoever it was out of the corner of her eye.

She was just in front of an alley when she stopped, too tired to run anymore, throwing cautious glances over her shoulder to ensure her pursuer wasn't anywhere near her.

With a sigh of relief, she leaned against the cold, brick wall, panting.

What on earth was that? Who would chase a stupid 19-year-old like herself, who clearly didn't have an incredible amount of money? (Sadly, it was true, she was sorely underpaid for all the writing she did; they had told her until she wrote more and became more popular than her pay would increase.)

When she looked up to check out her surrounding, she noticed something she hadn't before.

There were police cars all around here. Whether parked or circling the area, they were here.

But _why?_

She stepped a little out of the alley to check, and perhaps have a word or two about her pursuer.

She soon found herself flying backwards into the alley, pinned against someone with a warm broad chest. Their hands were securing her in place; one over her mouth, the other tightly around her waist.

She felt her heartbeat rapidly increase, fear widening her eyes. Her bag lay discarded by the entrance of the alleyway.

It felt like hours, but as soon as the police drove away, she felt her captor sigh in relief.

"I'm not a kidnapper I'll have you know, but I can't have you blow my cover either. So I'll let you go if you keep your mouth shut."

A deep voice, definitely that of a man (but what a voice!) sounded close to her right ear, making her shiver.

"Well?"

She nodded as best as she could.

"Good girl."

As promised, her released her.

Gasping as she stumbled, finally falling to the ground on her bottom.

Shivering, she looked up at her captor, and her jaw dropped.

It was him. That thief. The one that all the police are after. The sexy one.

And he was definitely even better in person.

He looked a little tired and pale, if anything, but that didn't dull the mischievous twinkle in his dark indigo eyes nor the luster of his midnight blue hair.

He arched an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

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I'll leave it at there for now.

I feel lightheaded and dizzy right now, so that's all for now o.x

Okies, review dear readers! Please?


	2. The Cheshire Cat Thief

Wow, I love you guys :D

Thanks for all these reviews! Seriously, I thought I would bomb my first Shugo Chara fic but I guess not.

I'll do my best to update, but first, a fair warning—I do have school, which means homework, which means too much stress to further the story plot. I will try, I can promise that much, but too much work makes me tired.

Okay, firstly I'll cover something I don't think I did in the author's note on the last chapter:

There are no Charas in this story. Sorry, but I couldn't find anywhere to fit them in with my plot. And I feel uncomfortable with the idea of making them human. I don't know why, I just never liked the idea. There will be other characters in the story, with a few pointless oc's here and there just to fill in the empty spaces.

And uh...go Amuto :D

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**Stolen**

_Part Two:_

The Cheshire Cat Thief

* * *

_**If I can walk through your moments for a second time  
**_

_**Then I want to become a shadow and protect you  
**_

_**Even if the blindly blowing wind estranges us  
**_

_**Please don't forget about believing...**_

_**-Rinne Rondo by On/Off**_

* * *

He towered over her, a catlike smirk in place as he raised an eyebrow as she stumbled to the ground.

"Rather nervous, are we?"

"Sh-shut up!" She countered as instinct, but immediately covered her mouth when she realized that she had no idea what this guy was capable of.

He only chuckled, shaking his head. "You're an interesting one." The smile never out of place, he crouched to her level, a foot and a half away from her. "Okay, so you've interested me."

"I-interested you." She stated, feeling less nervous as she narrowed her eyes. "Just what kind of guy are you anyway?"

He winked. "That's a secret."

She flushed, glaring at him as she stood up and brushed herself off. "You'll be caught."

He chucked quietly again, shaking his head, his eyes sparkling. "Me? Caught? You must be delusional, writer. I don't get caught. It's just not possible." Still chucking, he shook his head as if remembering an inside joke.

She shot him a suspicious look. "How do you know I'm a writer?"

"You're in the news nearly as much as I am you know. People call you a prodigy." He looked her up and down, smiling that mysterious, mischievous smirk again. "You don't look like much of a prodigy to me."

"And you don't look like much of a 'professional' thief!"

He rolled his eyes. "That's probably true."

They fell silent, staring at each other from a little more than a foot away, as far apart as the narrow alleyway would allow.

Police were dashing about outside, shining flashlights from side to side, higher-ups shouting orders to their underlings.

When the voices drew near he sighed, and glanced around outside before flashing her a Cheshire-catlike smile.

"Guess that's my cue to go. See you, _Amu._" With that, he darted out from the alley, drawing attention to himself. The police followed him, shouting at one another and firing off guns at random.

The way he had said her name sent shivers up and down her spine. Creepy? Perhaps.

"That guy," She muttered, stopping to pick up her fallen bag, "is not right in the head."

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Ikuto grinned from where he was, far away from the policemen so very desperate to find him.

"As if they could." He smiled confidently, standing tall as he observed the scene below him from the shadows.

He frowned the tiniest bit then, thinking of the young, pink haired girl. "Amu Hinamori. Hn."

The name left an strange taste in his mouth. And it wasn't a good one.

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Home sweet home. Heavens, she would never take home for granted again. Not ever, not ever, not _ever _

again.

"How I adore home." She hugged the pillow to her chest, sighing deeply.

She rolled over on her back, still hugging the pillow close to her.

_Ikuto...Tsukiyomi. That thief. He was so much different than I had expected. I didn't know what to do. With that personality, he hardly seems like much of a criminal!_

Frowning, she rolled back over on her stomach, burying her face in her pillow now.

"I don't know what to think anymore." She grumbled into the pillow.

Really, her life had been so _simple_ just this morning! Who would have thought her thinking would change so quickly?

No. She would most certainly never regret having such a decent, easy life again.

She would even try to keep her internal complaints about her wordy old editor to a minimum!

_I guess this is what it means that you should be thankful for what you have._

She sighed.

_But this could make a great book._

Smiling brilliantly, she rushed over to her desk, flipped open her notebook to a blank page immediately, and began to write. She wrote faster than she had in a long time. She wrote so much for so long she didn't notice the time, and noticed her aching hands and fingers even less. Her hair hung over her face and sweat was beaded on her neck and forehead.

She just had to let these ideas free, she just _had _to. This story was pretty much begging her to be written. Just begging.

And Amu had a weakness for stories that kept nagging her anyway.

When she had finally finished, feeling the fatigue from the day sink in, she leaned back in the chair, smiling to herself.

"That was hardly rough draft material." She murmured to herself, chuckling a little. How ridiculous.

When was the last time she had come up with an idea she was so eager about? Not since the completion of her short story collection.

She picked up the notebook, grinning at the title page. "I do like this title though. Should I change it?"

She paused considering it. Then she shook her head, still smiling. "Nah. I'll convince then to keep the title. I'm too fond of it."

She had put exactly what she thought about him into a story, excluding his name and real appearance, but keeping what little she knew about his character the same.

"Such a weird guy." She said to herself again, putting the notebook back on her desk.

_But I've gotta hand it to him. He sure is interesting. I don't even think this story will honor him enough._

Sighing, she headed to bed, too tired to change out of her clothes as she turned off the lights and fell asleep almost immediately.

After falling asleep, Amu had left the notebook open to the sloppily-written title page. _The Cheshire Cat Thief. _

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"So, you've come in contact with another girl besides myself." Her tone was ice cold as she spoke through the receiver, twirling the cord around her slim finger.

She heard the exasperated sigh from the other line. "All I said is that there is someone who could report me and send a parade of police after me. And besides, what I do hasn't ever been your business." He replied coolly.

She narrowed her eyes. "After all I've done for you."

He was silent.

"You couldn't possibly understand how I feel."

"Stop, Utau."

"Why? I'm tired of you running about like you own the world! I should have the right to say what I want, so I'll say I love you whenever I choose!"

"...We're siblings, how many times do I have to tell this to you?"

"You can say it as many times as you want, I won't lose to anyone. I don't care if we're related, I _don't care_!"

Another sigh. "I've got to go."

A click. Then silence.

She bit her lip until it bled, holding back hot tears of frustration and anger. Every time he spoke to other girls she wanted to rage. Rage until there was no emotion left within her except her love for her older brother.

She knew it was considered wrong by society. Yeah, so?

"Ikuto...damn you...but...I love you..."

The tears of anger turned to sadness as she stared hollowly out the window, watching the rain fall, the occasional flash of lighting illuminating her long, blond hair.

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A clap of thunder awoke Amu from her brief sleep.

"Urgh." She sat up, running a hand through her messy hair as she blinked groggily.

Rain? Well.

She stood up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and changing into her warmest pajamas. She could feel the temperature dropping steadily, and she shivered while changing.

After changing, she threw a thick blanket over her shoulders and returned to her desk with a sigh.

"Where was I?"

She flipped through the pages of the notebook, scanning her writing, editing, adding and deleting a sentence or word here and there.

She stifled a yawn. _This will be as good as it's going to get._

She flopped down on her bed and curled up beneath the covers, watching the lightning light up the night sky, then fade as soon as it came. The thunder rumbled not long after each flash.

She wasn't terribly afraid of storms, they just brought back unpleasant memories. She also really despised the cold. So winter wasn't her favorite time of season. Thankfully it was spring, but it always was cold at night, which was something she wasn't fond of.

She shivered as she pulled the covers up over her chin.

Ugh. Cold. Horrible.

The next flash of lighting came, but along with it, a tap on her window that made her almost fall out of bed, her heart beating rapidly, eyes wide open.

"W-what on earth?" She squeaked.

Cautiously, going towards her window, she saw the last person she had expected to see.

This felt so cliché, seriously. She opened the window, wincing as the ice-cold raindrops hit her skin and stepped back in amazement.

"Y-you? What are _you_ doing here?"

He leaped in gracefully through the open window, and close it behind him.

"Wonderful welcome." He chuckled as she took another step back.

"Wait a minute...how do you know my address?"

"Easy to find the address of someone who's somewhat famous."

She glared.

"And why did I just let you in?"

He laughed again. "Now that's a question you'll have to answer on your own."

She scowled and stomped back over to her bed, sitting down on it.

"Wet cats sleep on the floor."

"Isn't that cold?"

"I'm cold. Freezing, actually. So I have no room for soggy stray kitties in my warm, dry, comfortable bed."

He rolled his eyes. "Not even a towel?"

She sighed. _I guess I can give him that much._

Amu walked into the other room briefly and then returned, throwing a few towels and a blanket in his face.

"If anyone found out I was housing a thief..."

"They would never know, I promise."

She looked skeptical. "Of course."

Amu curled up in bed again, unaware of Ikuto approaching her desk.

"So this is the treasure of an author, eh?" He picked up the notebook, the towel slung around his neck and his shirt discarded on the floor.

She turned around suddenly, leaping out of bed. "Put that down. Now. _Now. _You."

He rolled his eyes. "And why, Your Highness? I do have a name you know. I'd appreciate it if you'd call me by my first name, dear _Amu_."

She clenched her teeth. "Just put it down cat thief."

He grinned, enjoying antagonizing her.

"I think I'll look through this a little more."

He casually flipped through the pages, surprised when he saw the title page of her newest story.

The smile vanished from his face almost completely as he scanned the first page.

"You...this is..."

She reached up and grabbed the notebook from him, flushed and shooting a venomous glare.

"That's why I told you not to touch it."

His eyes narrowed. "About me."

"So? It's not often I'm inspired, or hell, even felt this creative ever before. You should be honored that you inspired this story that could be a hit. Sure, it's flawed and a little short, but isn't ever rough draft?"

She put the notebook in one of the desk drawers, still scowling, her cheeks stained pink.

He took a step towards her.

"You hardly know me, and you write about me?"

"Yeah, so? Like I said, you're a great inspiration! And thieves are kinda cool, in a way. I mean, so many great stories have been written about thieves, you know? And I want to make my story just as great as those, if not better! I want to not be looked down upon by all those people who consider me a pushover or a weak little girl, but I _am_ an adult, despite the fact that they may not believe it, and I am mature enough to know what to do with myself! Which is why I have to prove that to them, because they won't listen otherwise! This story feels perfect to me, so I'll go with it, and--"

She was surprised when he hugged her. She hadn't realized that tears had welled up in her eyes.

She hadn't ever let out this much emotion before. It hurt, she realized, to be saying this out loud.

Despite how good she was, she wouldn't ever be enough for anyone else, it seemed. It didn't make sense. She was the most popular author out there right now, and she was making good money off her books! But yet...people she knew whispered cold things, sent glares her way, and muttered about her.

Hell, even people she hardly knew! So she had learned to keep to herself, close her emotion in, and act bored when she was so nervous on the inside.

Because of her outwardly aloof personality, people avoided her and tended to simply watch her curiously from afar.

It was...what she preferred, wasn't it? Wasn't...it?

"You're ranting." His voice gave her a start.

"...I've never done that ever before. Never ranted at anyone...ever."

He shook his head as he released her. "You've got quite a set of lungs on you." She scowled, then humphed and turned away, a faint blush on her cheeks again, eyelashes still damp with forgotten tears.

As she walked to her bed, feeling completely drained, she turned his way for a second then muttered, "Cats sleep on the floor...Ikuto."

He rolled his eyes and smiled a little. "Right, I'll be gone before you know it, don't worry."

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Well, how was it you guys? Did I write well enough for you to stand reading? I hope so. :3

I'm writing this at 2 AM so I'm a little dazed. The second half of the chapter probably made very little sense for that reason. But I get my best inspirations during the early morning hours, so XD

Well, please review, I'd like to know if you liked chapter 2 :D (hopefully?)


	3. Chain Reaction

Wow, you guys are great. Really, really awesome. :D

I'm sorry for the late update. It was my goal to update once a week on Saturday nights, but I was sidetracked ;_;

Not too much else to say, but here's chapter three! I'll do my bes to add more Amuto, but that will only happen once they get more involved with one another. -winkwink-

Enjoy ;D

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**Stolen**

_Part Three:_

Chain Reaction

* * *

_**Even though you say mean things**_

_**I know it's because you have feelings for me**_

_**Although we fight often**_

_**I will always be by your side...**_

_**-Minna no Tamago by Shugo Chara Egg!**_

* * *

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed, feeling more awake than she usually did, despite how late she had gone to bed the previous night.

For whatever reason, she felt like she was forgetting something. Amu frowned. _This is disturbing. I never forget things._

She gazed outside, not surprised to see the morning sunlight veiled by dark rainclouds. It wasn't raining just this minute, but the raindrops that were gathered on her window told her it had been raining the night before.

_Rain..._

She jumped out of bed.

"Ikuto...?"

She cautiously stepped out of bed, walking to the approximate area where he had been. All she found was a folded blanket with a note left on it.

_Told you I'd be gone. I slept on the floor like a good cat._

It wasn't signed, but it was too obvious who it was from.

"That idiot." She muttered, folding up the note and hiding it in one of her notebooks.

Yawning, she glanced at the clock. _9 AM. _Not a bad start.

She trudged over to her kitched to begin her usual morning routine, feeling strangely lightheaded and a little breathless. _Strange._

"Why do I feel so weird today?" She pulled a piece of bread out of the package, too lazy to toast it. She found she could only eat a bite of it, feeling not remotely hungry.

She continued her morning routine, showering and taking longer than usual, then dressing warmly for the cold weather.

Not wanting to go to school but not having much choice, she headed in the direction of her college. She really hoped the professors wouldn't call on her today. Amu felt like her head was up in the clouds.

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"Amu Hinamori!"

Said person blinked, lifting her head off the table while others muttered and whispered, throwing glances of bitterness in her direction.

Realizing where she was, she sat up straight. "Yes, sir?"

"You were sleeping."

"I apologize, sir."

He sighed, and turned back to the board to continue the lecture. The rest of the students continued taking notes.

Amu, however, was surprised at herself. Dozing off in class? Sure, she had figured she would be a little spacey, but actually falling asleep? That was never a good sign with her.

She could hardly concentrate on the rest of the class, and could feel herself almost dozing off again until she noticed people were leaving. She hurriedly gathered up her things, and proceeded to the door, in no hurry today since this was the last of her classes.

"What on earth?" She muttered to herself once she had exited the campus.

She felt even more lightheaded than she had this morning.

As she walked, she felt so exhausted and spaced out that she just wanted to sleep somewhere, or even anywhere at this point.

_No. I've got to keep myself focused. I have to submit my ideas to my editor. So I'll head to the smaller office instead of the main one and just get it over with._

The smaller office was a much shorter walk, and she could easily give her work to one of the editors who would then give it to her editor. And her editor would contact her once she received the paperwork.

Amu had been planning to head to the main office, but she felt too out of it to walk such a distance and actually listen to and comprehend what her wordy editor was saying.

Before she reached the office, however, she passed a park. There were several benched and a lovely stone fountain in the middle. This little clearing was surrounded by tall, bright green trees and an assortment of flowers. Feeling drawn to the park's comforting aura, she made a beeline for one of the benches.

Surprisingly, there were no vendors here, not even a single soul in the park, spare a few birds and insects that resided in the trees and near the bright flowers.

She curled up comfortable on the bench, using her bag as a pillow. Only a few minutes of sleep, just a few...she could spare that much. Then perhaps she would be more focused when turning in her paperwork. Yes, she could even explain everything. She enjoyed explaining her ideas and stories to people.

Yes...only...a few minutes. That wouldn't hurt...

And she was so very tired...

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Utau paced back and forth, back and forth. She wore a knee-length, long-sleeved dark dress with lace-up boots. Her blond hair was pulled up into pigtails with dark, lacy ribbons and she wore a scowl upon her pretty face.

That older brother of hers. He had called on a pay phone like he usually would to tell her he would be coming back home to plan for his next target.

But no, he had to be _twelve minutes_ later than he had said. He claimed her would be there by 1 o'clock. It was now 1:12 and Utau had never been the patient type, particularly when it came to her beloved older brother.

She didn't understand why he couldn't see how much she sincerely loved him. It shouldn't matter that they were related, but of course, Ikuto never took much interest in girls. He was like a stray cat, moving around and doing whatever he pleased.

Lately, though, he had been very into stealing. She had supported this, of course, like she very well should.

She even allowed him to use her mansion as a sort of base so to speak, where he could regroup and plan. He never allowed her to help him, and she was rarely allowed to see his plans.

He preferred to work independently, liking the thrill of doing things alone. He never changed. Not when he was young, and he was not different know.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed the quiet knock on her door. He only ever knocked once or twice, usually very reluctant to come anywhere near the house.

She ran for the door immediately, throwing it open in her eagerness.

And there he was, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

She ushered him in, and once the door was closed, hugged him as tight as she possibly could.

He was back. He really came back. Oh, what a great day this was.

"Utau." He tone held a warning.

"Yes, my dear Ikuto?" She ignored his tone of voice, burying her face in his chest.

She reluctantly parted with him when he gently pushed her away, but that didn't dim her eagerness.

"So how long are you staying this time?"

He sighed at her enthusiasm. "Six hours, not much more than that, _if_ any more than that."

Her smile shifted into a frown. "Why? Why don't you stay any more? I _miss_ you so much."

He sighed and looked her directly in the eyes, speeding up her heartbeat.

"I won't be coming back for a while. I just need some time to think things over and prepare." He watched as her face fell, her eyes lowered. "I'm sorry."

With that, he turned and headed up the grand staircase.

"Ikuto." She whispered. "Why?"

Ikuto leaned against the door of the room he used, closing it behind him.

He ran a hand through his hair as he paced, thinking. He had a vague idea of what was going to happen next, and it would be easy. What he would do next wouldn't be what mattered, but what it was he would do after that. Yes. It would have to be a chain of events.

Like a chain reaction, one thing leading to another thing, which, in turn, would become something else entirely.

If all went to plan...

_If._

He stretched out comfortably on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowing.

It would not be easy. He must be insane for even thinking such a thing, completely insane.

Of course, he was a great thief, and an even better escape artist, but this would be so different. If everything went to plan, it would be the escape that would be difficult.

And there would be plenty of opportunities to plan that out.

He smirked, unable to stop it. This would be exciting. More exciting than any of his other robberies. This one would make all of the others look insignificant.

Feeling suddenly tired, he closed his eyes contentedly and drifted off to sleep.

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She awoke with a start again.

She sat up on the bench, wincing at her sore body.

What the hell? She felt much more coherent now, was freezing cold and couldn't stop shivering, and had a massive headache.

Amu glanced up at the now semi-dark sky. Wonderful. There was no way she'd be able to submit her rough draft today. She would just have to deliver it directly to her editor tomorrow.

Groaning, she stood up carefully, wincing and stretching, then proceeded to walking home.

Ugh. Her head was killing her.

She shrugged it off, ignoring the pain as best as she could, and focused on getting home so she could sleep _comfortably. _

"I am never letting myself do that _ever again_." She grumbled to herself after yawning and rubbing her temples.

Night was approaching swiftly, and it comforted her at how peaceful it felt. The moon was hardly visible behind the storm clouds, but what little light there was cast everything in an eerie glow. A few visible stars glimmered in the dark blanket that was the night, and the wind, though cold, smelled fresh and felt good to inhale. The wind tasted a little damp, which probably meant it would rain probably sooner rather than later.

_Please don't let it rain on me. I forgot my umbrella._

She thought back on her earlier actions, feeling even more idiotic as she kept thinking about it.

"What the hell. Seriously. Sleeping in the park like some bum, and now even better yet, you're talking to yourself? Now see, this is why you have no friends, Amu." She said to herself, feeling ridiculous.

Thunder rumbled from a distance, and the dark clouds overhead were shifting slowly but surely.

_Damn. Rain means cold, and cold means a very bad day for me. Just please don't let this day get any worse._

She began to pick up her pace, half jogging as she prayed that she would not be rained on. Being soggy and wet and tired was not something she was looking forward to. Quite the opposite.

What time was it now? She had slept for a few hours, she grudgingly remembered, so if she had to guess, it would be at least 6.

What a sad day indeed in the life of Amu Hinamori, age 19, today being probably one of the worst days of her young life.

She was nearly home when it started pouring. It started out as a light drizzle, but fell harder within a few seconds.

Yet she continued home, shivering and hugging her bag to her in an attempt not to get her textbooks wet. Her hair was plastered to her face and neck. Raindrops caught in her eyelashes and poured down her cold, pale face, resembling tears. She was shivering so hard that it was hard to walk straight, or even walk at all. Her clothes clung to her body, weighing her down the wetter they became.

She still trudged on, determined to make it to where it was warm and dry. _I need to get home or I'll get sick. And that cannot happen._

Hardly paying attention to where she was walking, her boot caught on a loose stone and she flew forward, whirling around in a vain attempt to protect her books. She landed back-first into a deep and muddy puddle, feeling the water soak through her already drenched clothing to her skin. Shivering, she sat up, now muddy and dripping.

_I hate, I _hate_, I HATE the rain so very much more than I used to._

She hugged her back to her chest as she continued to drag herself onward.

When she reached her front entryway at long last, she felt suddenly lightheaded like she had been feeling all day, but it was so bad that she fell again, stumbling as she fell on her side just before the steps that led to her front door.

Feeling suddenly warm and too worn out to move, she found herself drifting off to sleep...

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When she awoke, she was warm, dry, and sleeping on what felt like a couch or a sofa.

Blinking blearily, she sat up slowly, pulling the blanket that had been placed on her up over her shoulders. She coughed until her chest and head hurt, wincing as she took her aching head between her hands.

Feeling the pain recede slightly, she lifted her head up to glance around at her surroundings. This was certainly not her home.

It was a small, dark room. The dark curtains were drawn tightly over the windows, and she could still hear rain outside. She glanced at the clock on the wall, but the hands were not moving and the clock face was cracked. The room had a strange but familiar smell about it, one she could not quite put her finger on.

The carpet wasn't as dark as the rest of the room, as it was colored beige. The wallpaper, however, was a few shades darker than the curtains, which she had to guess were blue.

There was a battered book shelf made of dark wood that held a small collection of both worn and brand new books. She was tempted to get up and examine them, but her brutal headache prevented her from doing so.

There was a table in the corner, and upon it was an old telephone and a notebook of some kind.

She looked down at what she was laying on. She had two blankets covering her, and had a pillow where her head had been. The couch was rather worn, but it was comfortable enough to sleep on.

The small room itself was nice and warm, and that in itself was enough to make her want to fall back asleep.

She glanced at the door. It was close, but light filtered in through underneath. Someone was here. Whoever had taken her from where she had passed out was still here.

"Where am I?" She whispered aloud, afraid to speak any louder.

She slowly stood up on wobbly feet, holding her head as she took small steps toward the door. She was just about to reach for the handle when the door opened.

She almost fell over as the door opened, but someone caught her around the waist. She couldn't see who it was, since she was facing the opposite direction.

She was just about to speak when she heard a painfully familiar voice.

"Now, now, an ill girl like you shouldn't be wandering about."

Despite the comfortable warmth of the room, she felt a chill creep up her spine.

"Oh no, no, no."

"Oh no? Now that's a bit rude."

She groaned aloud as she turned around, as the person who had brought her here was none other than Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

"Why do I get to be stuck with the perverted cat?!?"

"Now I'm not that perverted, and I still don't get why you call me a cat."

"...."

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Well I'm done! There were a few parts in this chapter that dissatisfied me, but that's alright. I'm not entirely sure how to change them to get those parts to flow...

I know, there wasn't much Amuto in this chapter, but judging by how it ended, you should be able to guess that there will be a little action in the next chapter XD

Please read and review!

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	4. Uncomfortable Circumstances

Well, here goes another chapter.

I want to say something about the time period, first of all.

It takes place a bit in the past, before things like cell phones, digital clocks, really nice cars, and when not everyone had television. That's how I tend to imagine this story, in a setting like that. I kind of hint at it, but probably not well enough for people to pick up on, so I'm just informing you all how I see it in my mind when I'm writing it.

I love writing about the past, even though I really know very little about it. So even though I'll probably get things wrong, I just find it fun to place the setting in the past a little. So yeah, I just wanted to let you all know that. ;D

Also, about those song lyrics. They won't always intentionally have anything to do with the chapter, I just put them there because I happen to like the song :P

On with the chapter!

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**Stolen**

_Part Four:_

Uncomfortable Circumstances

* * *

_**What was stolen?  
**_

_**In an unchanging world.  
**_

_**What did I hear?  
**_

_**A colorful song.  
**_

_**Everything is bright...**_

_**-World End by Flow **_

* * *

She sat. And she sat. And still, she sat. Her back was rigid, her face fixed on the floor, her feet planted firmly on the ground as she sat.

He watched her as she sat, staring at the ground.

His expression was that of someone who was both mildly interested and lazy at the same time.

Hers was that of someone who had just witnessed a murder, or someone who was in the middle of a prison break.

The silence wrapped around them felt impenetrable; neither made a move to break the silence.

_Can't he just let me go. Let me go, let me go..._

Her eyes flicked up briefly to his face, where she saw that same, stupid and amused smirk she had been seeing for the past twelve minutes. The same smirk she so wanted to wipe off his face.

However, she restrained herself, remembering that she was a girl and he was a boy, and that not many girls were physically able to take on such a perverted and well-built older guy like him.

She cleared her throat, as if to speak, but then just sighed and fidgeted a little in her seat, as though she had though better of it.

_This silence is killing me._

However, Amu was at a loss for words and for thoughts. All she wanted to do was just go home and sleep and sleep and sleep until a few years went by. Just this very silence alone was wearing her out even further, and the fact that she was still feverish (oh, if only she had figured this out when she had woken up, this would have saved so much strife!) left her no choice but to remain here...wherever _here_ was.

There were so many questions on her mind that she started feeling dizzy. If it was one thing she hated more than this awkward silence, that was having questions and not being able to have them answered. Oh sure, she could ask them, but it wasn't likely he was intending to answer honestly.

She could feel her eye twitching as she glanced up again, feeling nothing but irritation in the presence of that 'holier-than-thou' smirk that seemed ever so full of mystery and confidence.

Whenever she had attempted to question him, he would either get too close for comfort, or smile that cryptic smile and say, "Well, curious are we?" Thus, she never received her answers. The temptation to try again was very strong, but she somehow resisted. How? It was beyond her, but she would have to hold her tongue until he decided to say something first.

And he was also difficult to read. Something else she had learned in this small amount of time. All he did was stretch himself out lazily across two chairs, shifting on occasion, that small smile never leaving his face.

His eyes were focused on her, something that made these circumstances even more uncomfortable.

Amu cleared her throat again; the temptation to ask another question was far too strong.

"Where is this?"

He looked directly into her raised eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. She blushed a little, but prayed that it would not be noticeable because of her fever.

"Ah. Such an interesting question that is."

She narrowed her eyes, feeling immensely irritated with his vague and airy answers.

"This location. Where is this place located? You practically kidnapped me and now you aren't even telling me where we are."

He shrugged. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Is it so difficult to explain?"

"Perhaps."

"Argh."

She had stood up during this, her hands on the table. Realizing that he still would not answer, she flopped back down on the chair, crossing her legs and deliberately turning away.

"But...since you are here..."

She heard his chair scrape against the hard floor, hear his footsteps come up behind her.

"Why don't we enjoy ourselves a little?"

His voice was lowered to a little more than a whisper, his lips by her ear. She gave a jolt, flinching and flushing darkly.

"G-go away." She was tripping over her own words.

He chuckled breathlessly by her ear as he wrapped an arm around her chest, preventing her from moving.

"I don't think it's right of you to kick someone out of their own house, now do you?"

She blinked, momentarily surprised by this piece of information.

"Your...house?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes and releasing her, seeming disappointed that she killed the mood from a few seconds ago.

"Yes, my house. You know, a place with a roof and walls, that you live in?"

"I know what a house is!" She snapped, standing up and glaring at him directly.

"Of course, of course." He sighed and left the room, running one hand through his dark locks.

_I'm in...his house?_

"Oh yes, and one more thing."

She blinked as she heard him reenter the room. Before she could react, his face was but a few inches from hers.

"The ill should be in bed." He whispered, his breath tickling her nose.

With that, he exited the room again, taking long, graceful strides.

Amu stood there in surprise with her mouth slightly open, eyes wider than usual.

"That guy...I don't get him."

Shaking her head, she returned to the couch where she had previously been. Curling up under the covers, she stared at the dark curtains and walls, letting her mind wander.

He was an enigma. She hardly knew him at all. Yet, he always acted far too familiar with her. It was disconcerting.

She also didn't know how he had found her. She had collapsed in the rain near her house. Of course, he knew where her house was. But the fact that he had discovered her in time only meant one thing.

_He was coming over anyway?  
_

She shook her head and pulled the blankets up over her face, taking a few deep breaths.

Then, she remembered the smell. The whole room had smelled strangely familiar, and now she knew why.

It was _his _smell. That's why it was familiar. He had spent a whole night in her room that time, so she had vaguely remembered it.

But the fact that she recognized it at all...

"What am I, a lovesick schoolgirl? You're an adult now Amu, get a hold of yourself. Start thinking maturely." She said under her breath, burying her face in the pillow and willing unconsciousness to come.

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When she awoke again, she felt horribly hot. Her head spun and she felt breathless and tired. Her head pounded and sweat beaded on her forehead. She stared at the ceiling through tear filled eyes. Her fever had undoubtedly increased, and she felt awful.

She took slow, shaky breaths, shaking so violently under the covers that her teeth chattered. She moaned quietly to herself. She would have never thought she would get this sick. It had been many years since she had felt this ill.

She curled up on her side, eyes wide open as she shivered, watching the lighting's flash through the dark curtains. Amu even forgot where she was as she pressed her hot forehead to her cold hands. She tried to breathe evenly and keep her shaking to a minimum as she pulled the blanket closer to her.

She was so far gone she didn't even hear the door open, nor did she notice Ikuto walking over to her until he was right beside her and spoke to her. His expression wasn't one she recognized; the only ones she knew were his smirking face and his serious face. As this expression was neither, her hazy mind couldn't figure out what he was really feeling.

He slipped his arms around her, carefully lifting her up, making sure the blankets were securely wrapped around her. Amu could have sworn the room was swaying as he carried her.

He lay her down in what she guessed was a bed, pulling the covers up over her shivering form. She looked up at his face, but she could hardly see it. She felt a cool hand on her forehead and wanted so badly to close her eyes and just sleep, but a strange feeling of worry prevented her from doing so.

He was so close to her. One arm was draped loosely over her, and he had one hand pressed gently to her forehead. She wanted nothing more than to move closer to him; he was so warm and so comfortable.

Her thoughts were foggy, she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted to say or what it was she was even thinking, but she had to get this question out or she would not be able to fall asleep peacefully.

She lifted a trembling hand to his face, her voice shaking so badly it was difficult to speak.

"W-what's with th-that e-expression?" Her whisper was hoarse and shaky.

He did not answer; if he did, she was already drifting off to sleep, too tired and sick to keep her eyes open any longer. However, just before she fell asleep, she felt him pull her closer to him, almost hugging her. She had no objection. He was just too warm and comfortable.

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He took another drag on the cigarette as he stood in the shadows of the building, watching the rain fall. It was late at night, no one else in their right mind would be out at this hour in the rain.

He wouldn't be here either, were he not waiting for someone.

As soon as he heard footsteps, he sighed.

"Oi, took you long enough." He said with a bit of impatience, exhaling the smoke.

The other sighed. "Stop smoking. It irritates me." He had a deep, hoarse voice.

The two stood in the shadows for a few minutes in complete silence; the only sound was the rain.

"You know what's going to happen if we let this go on?" The other asked, sounded slightly angry.

The first ran one hand through his graying, chestnut hair. "I know. Don't you worry, I already told you this.

I know what I'm doing, the problem will be gotten rid of."

The other pulled his hood down lower over his face. "For the sake of your life, it had better be."

With that, he walked away.

The first sighed, put out his cigarette, and entered the building just behind him.

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When Amu awoke, she felt comfortable. Blinking, she sat up, yawning, remembering that this time, she wasn't at home.

Her head still hurt a little, but she felt a great deal better already. Rubbing her forehead, she tentatively stood up, stretched, and headed to the next room. She stopped in the doorway, frowning. Something didn't feel right. She didn't remember falling asleep in a bed. She remembered that she had been asleep on that old sofa, not in a bed.

She retraced her steps, determined to get to the bottom of this. Did she sleepwalk?

Confused, she walked back over to the sofa, sitting down on it. _If I remember falling asleep on the sofa, why did I wake up in a bed? And not just any bed, but Ikuto's?_

This dilemma was one that was making her head hurt worse, and she was not getting anything figured out by sitting here.

"Oh well, it's probably unimportant all the same." She stretched again. It was probably best she be heading home today.

As she stretched, she realized something. "These...aren't my clothes."

She examined what she was wearing. It was an over sized black t-shirt, and baggy, gray sweatpants. The collar of the shirt was a good deal wider than her neck, so it showed a good portion of the skin on her shoulder.

"Wait...if I didn't change myself...then..."

She did not want to think about it. However, she _was _thinking about it.

"IKUTO TSUKIYOMI!" Enraged, despite the fact that her head hurt, she stormed into the room they had been in yesterday, the small room that only had a table, two chairs, and a counter.

He was there, sitting casually in one of the chairs, arms behind his head.

"Yes?" He asked, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Y-you...changed me. My clothes. You. Changed. Them."

He shrugged nonchalantly and then nodded. "Yeah."

She had to blink several times. Did he not understand?

"You. Saw. Me n-n-naked?" She cleared her throat after that, feeling awkward now that she had said the word.

He only shrugged again. "Yeah. Not a big deal."

She turned to him then, rage reignited.

"N-not a big DEAL? NOT a big deal?" She spluttered, mouth opening and closing, face flushed red, eyes wide. "I consider it a _really_ big deal!"

He grinned, raising his eyebrows at her. "If you worried about what I think, you're not too bad. A little bit flat in the chest department though, so it wasn't much to look at."

Her jaw dropped again. This guy...was going to make her pop a vein at this rate. How perverted could he get? And talking about her...her...well, _lack_ of development in the chest area so casually? Despite the embarrassment and pure rage she felt at that remark, she also felt self-conscious.

Having nothing more to say to him, she turned on her heel and walked away. "I'm leaving. I am LEAVING. I'm gone, good bye, and good bye." She threw her hands up in the air as she left, wishing there was something hard she could hit herself on the head with.

Ikuto, however, only smiled a little as he watched her throw a tantrum. "So noisy. And in the morning too."

He yawned, stretching as he stood up and sauntered over to where Amu was pacing and muttering to herself, still flushed as she tugged at her hair. She hadn't noticed him yet.

He had to admit, she was rather amusing to watch when she was talking to herself. He usually frustrated her to see her reactions, for they almost always interested and amused him. She was much different and so much more interesting than any other girl he had been around.

Groaning, she spun around again, only to come face to face with Ikuto. Her hands dropped from her hair and her eyes widened. She blushed, then made a move to walk by him. Ikuto, however, would have none of that.

He seized her around the waist, hugging her to his chest so her back was against him. Once she got over the initial shock, she began to struggle, blushing even darker as she attempted to escape from him. However, he was a good deal stronger than her, so she couldn't budge as long as he held onto her.

Realizing this, Amu gave up and dropped her arms with a sigh, the blush still on her cheeks.

"What do you want?" She asked this in an offhand way, but the way her eyes darted around the room and the way her blush darkened ever so slightly showed that she was feeling anything but offhand. She was quite good at injecting the aloof nonchalance into her voice, however.

Deciding to have a little fun, he grinned in a way that Amu (for a split second only!) thought was sexy and lowered his lips to her ear.

"You." He whispered, breath tickling her ear so that she shivered.

She weakly squirmed again, but he only held her tighter. "Now we can't have any of that." He said, still whispering seductively into her ear.

_Why does this guy have to be so damn attractive in everything he does! I bet he's even attractive dressed up in nothing but a paper bag!_

The thought made her blush even more darkly. Nothing but a paper bag...she really needed to cleanse her mind. Get away from all thoughts of partially naked men, no matter how sexy or attractive or cute or seductive or sexy or hot they might be.

_In the name of all that is holy, I beg you God, cleanse my mind of all evil thoughts._

He only smirked. "Something wrong, _Amu_?"

She bit her lip, feeling her body go limp. What the hell? He had such an effect on her!

Deciding to take this a little further, Ikuto lowered his head to her ear again, and when she least suspected it, he put his lips to her earlobe and nipped it playfully.

The effect was instantaneous.

She leaped out of his arms, and he let her. She was a mess, spluttering and stuttering as she fell backwards and landed on her behind. Still spouting gibberish, she scooted away from him and ran her hands through her pink hair in frustration, messing it up.

"I-I'll be going now!" She said, in a voice that was much louder than necessary, and dashed off to the bathroom where her clothes were left to dry.

Ikuto could only shake his head, chuckling to himself. She was far too amusing for her own good.

And for a second, he had thought of her as 'cute' rather than 'interesting'.

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She shuffled her feet awkwardly as he stood not very far behind her.

"Is it necessary for you to invade my personal space like this?"

He only smirked, not answering.

She sighed as she unlocked the front door to her own house, stepping out of her boots as she came inside.

Sighing, she turned back to Ikuto. "You can come in if you want..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why invite me in so suddenly?"

She blushed. "Well, I guess...as thanks for taking care of me."

"Are you sure that it's not to finish what we started?"

He smirked as the meaning of those words sunk in. She gasped, face flooding with color. "N-no! It's not like that! I-it's not like I'd enjoy something like _that, _anyway." She folded her arms across her chest, obviously still embarrassed about the whole ordeal.

"My, my, so defensive." He shook his head, chuckling. "As tempting as it is to come in and do some more of _this _and _that _to you, my dear _Amu_, I'll have to reject the offer."

She humphed, then said, "Well it's the same to me either way. And I don't even want to know what you mean by that."

He grinned. "Well, of course I mean going a little further than last time. Like touching your--"

"NO!" Red faced she shouted, eyes wide. "Please, do not finish that sentence."

He shrugged, clearly amused. "Whatever you say, _Amu_."

With that, he dashed away and was gone.

Furrowing her eyebrows and holding her hands to her hot cheeks, she closed the door behind her. Lost in a daze, she returned to her room and fell down face first on her bed, enjoying the familiar smell of home, but at the same time, she knew that deep down, she was missing another.

"Ugh." She rolled over on her back, glaring at the ceiling.

She knew she was sunk now. God forbid it, she was not only a little bit attracted to him, she was developing what she thought was a tiny, _tiny_ crush. And there was no way this could be happening to her.

She rolled back over again, stifling another groan.

"All the more reason I require the services of a therapist."

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Yay, another chapter done! I feel like rejoicing. This took a while, and I'm sincerely sorry ._.;;

Please review, I really wanna hear from you guys! The more awesome review I get from you guys, the more inspired I get to write longer and better chapters!

* * *


	5. Ludicrous Reality

And here's another!

Happy almost birthday Ikuto! I hope you get lots of Amu on your birthday XD

Okay, so this chapter is mostly plot development. There's Amuto, just not nearly as much as the previous chapter.

Read on!

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**Stolen**

_Part Five:_

Ludicrous Reality

* * *

_**A coincidence-like inevitability**_

_****_

Destiny, that began to turn, creaks

_**  
**_

_**I'm confused in the sudden rain**_

_**Rejected, I'm soaking wet and in a daze...**_

_**-Heartbreaking Romance by Kanako Ito**_

* * *

The phone rang in the dead of the night. It's piercing chimes prevented the blond-haired girl from being able to fall back asleep, and whoever it was did not want to hang up when there was no answer.

Annoyed, Utau sat up, long hair streaming behind her, and rose from bed to answer the phone. Whoever it was, it had better be urgent.

Twirling the cord around her finger, she sighed as she answered. "Hello? Hoshina residence..." her voice trailed off as she heard the voice on the other line.

"B-but..." She bit her lip. She lowered her eyes, twirling the cord more quickly around her finger. "Yes, I understand. I-I will."

With that, she hung up and walked back over to her bed. She sat down on it and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them. She no longer felt like sleeping.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock and her own shaky breathing. He would always get his way. Because he held so much power over her, she could never go against him. As much as she might want to...she never could.

"Father...Mother...Ikuto..." She hugged her knees tighter to herself and tried to keep her breathing even.

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Amu hummed contentedly to herself as she wrote. She was on such a roll now.

Her story would be perfect! Absolutely perfect. Feeling that a break was necessary after writing for so long, she put her pencil down and took a swig of the still-warm tea that sat upon her desk.

She was wearing a baggy, gray sweater with the name of her college printed on it, as well as a comfortable pair of baggy pants and warm slippers. Her pink hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, which she now took out, combing her hands through her hair.

"That should be good for today." Feeling satisfied, she pushed the chair away from her desk and stood up to head for the kitchen, taking the empty teacup with her.

She sighed as she gazed out the kitchen window; it was still raining, and had no sign of letting up any time soon. According to the radio, it was to rain all week, and most of next week as well. She glowered at the window as she closed the curtains and placed the teacup in the sink so she could wash it later.

She stretched now and rubbed her eyes, then sighed again. Now what to do? She had finished her homework and had written enough for her next book, so now what? Boredom was something she figured she should be used to by now, but she was not. With the interesting events that had occurred for the past few days, everything else that was once normal to her now seemed so painfully boring.

The ring of her phone startled her. Laughing at her own stupidity, she dashed to answer it.

"Hello? Amu Hinamori speaking."

"Ah, hello Miss Hinamori."

She was so startled again she almost dropped the phone. She managed to snag it by the cord and put it hurriedly up to her ear again.

"Ah, hello Tadase. I've told you to call me Amu."

She heard soft laughter from the other side and sighed to herself. "I'm sorry then, Amu. How have you been lately?"

"I've been alright. How about you? I haven't heard from you since high school! How is your new job coming along?"

"I've been doing well. Even though I did call to talk to you, I wanted to ask you something that is work-related."

"Work-related?" She frowned, a little confused. Their jobs were pretty different.

"Yes, something that involves both of our jobs."

She furrowed her eyebrows, intrigued. "Alright then, what is it?"

She could almost hear the smile in his voice from the other line. "My company wants permission to make one of your books into a movie."

Amu practically dropped the phone again. "I'm sorry, what?" She asked breathlessly.

He laughed again. "May we make one of your books into a movie?"

"Of-of course!" She gasped, sitting down on her bed in shock. "Which one?"

"Well, we heard from your editor that you were writing a new book...?"

Her eyes widened. _That_ book? She recommended _that _book? "Y-yes. Yes I am."

"She only told me a little bit of what it is about, but I can't wait to read it!"

She laughed awkwardly. "Sure, I'm not sure how long it will take to finish, though, Tadase..."

"It's alright, Amu. I can wait."

"Ah...okay." She crossed her legs.

"And there is something else."

"Yes?"

"May I come over and visit tomorrow?"

"You? Visit? T-tomorrow?"

"Yes...I'm sorry, is it a problem?"

"N-no, not at all! What time?"

"Around 3 o'clock, if you can."

"Of course!" She squeaked. "I'm definitely free."

"Well, I have to go now, Amu. Take care."

She nodded, before she remembered she was on the phone. "I will."

"Bye."

With that, he hung up.

She hung up the phone in a dreamlike state. Tadase Hotori, her best friend back in high school, and her first love.

"Oh....oh my." She buried her face in the pillow, resisting the urge to swoon. This was amazing. Just incredible and amazing. She felt like all of her old feelings were resurfacing because of that one phone call.

But what to do? He would be over tomorrow...she wasn't sure if her heart would be able to take it anymore!

All this excitement was going to give her high blood pressure, then she would be in trouble. Having high blood pressure at nineteen...

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"No."

"No?"

Ikuto kept his face an emotionless mask as he calmly stared down the three men before him. All three had their faces hidden so he wouldn't be able to recognize him. He could also feel a bruise forming on his cheek from where the first had hit him, but resisted the urge to rub it.

The first man clearly had no reign over his emotions. He was trembling violently with uncontrollable rage. The most Ikuto could make out of his physical features were his long black hair and tall, broad shoulders.

The second had a restraining hand on the firsts shoulder. The second was thinner and shorter, and had a soft, quiet voice that could be either male or female.

The third never spoke and kept a good distance; watching, listening, waiting for something. He wasn't as broad shouldered as the first and not as slender as the second, but somewhere in between. This person kept to themselves and remained hidden in the shadows, body angled towards Ikuto and the other two.

The first shrugged off the hand of the second and made a sound of disgust. "So you're really asking for death, aren't ya kid?"

Ikuto only shrugged, eyes cold as ice. They could threaten him all they'd like, but if he was dead they would never get what they wanted.

The second spoke up now. "Please, Mr. Tsukiyomi. Understand the situation you are in. The longer you wait to repay us, the worse things will be for you."

He snorted. "I already told you, no."

The first made a move to hit him again and the second tried to restrain him, but to no avail. He could feel another bruise forming on his jaw this time.

For the first time, the third stepped forward, his deep voice obviously male, and spoke to the first with a commanding voice. "You're out of control. Don't make me remove you myself."

The first immediately stepped backwards, lowering his head. "Forgive me, sir."

The third stepped forward this time. The third did not have his face covered up, but had the hat pulled low over his eyes so only the mouth was visible.

"You are a fool to resist us." He said. "Those close to you will pay the price. Remember that."

Ikuto did not speak, but only stared coldly back, his face still devoid of emotion.

The third continued to speak. "You still refuse it would seem...that side of you is so very much like your father. Your coward of a father who decided to flee and never return. Perhaps you will learn from his cowardice as well. Because he was unable to repay us he left, leaving a distraught wife and two children behind." He smirked. Ikuto had to work harder to keep his face an emotionless mask.

"If you still refuse, no matter. If that is the case, your sister will do just fine in this case. Our boss has already contacted her, and there is little to no chance that she will refuse his conditions." The man grabbed Ikuto by his collar and pulled his face closer. He then spoke in a cold whisper.

"I know more than the others. I know what it is you're planning and you are a fool. If you think we will let this go without doing something, you are so very mistaken. You will regret taking this path."

He released him, then nodded to the third who now held a large club in his hands. He swung, and Ikuto saw darkness take over.

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_It was all hazy and blurry. Not dark or light either, but colors that shifted so it was neither dark nor light._

_Her legs felt slow and heavy, and she wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. But she couldn't sleep. A feeling of discomfort took over whenever she stopped to try and sleep. _

Amu fell to her knees, her legs refusing to move. She slowly, very slowly gazed upward. He stood there, above her, tall, dark, and handsome like he always was. He extended a hand to her and she took it, squinting up at his face. She couldn't see it very well for some reason.

_  
When she was up, Ikuto pulled her into his arms, saying nothing. Feeling oddly comforted, she returned the embrace. She saw Tadase standing behind him, his face disappointed. _

"Amu, you're life is in danger."

Confused, she could only stare. Her foggy mind couldn't process what he was saying because she felt so very safe right now.

_  
Just then, as if it happened out of nowhere, there were gunshots, and Ikuto was gone from her arms. She felt an immeasurable amount of dread, even though she could now see nothing because all color had vanished._

_She then saw Tadase, standing not far from her. Desperate, she headed towards him but stopped when he suddenly vanished, feeling even more anxious now as she began to back up, but tripped over something in the darkness._

_  
The darkness then vanished and she found herself sitting next to Ikuto's dead body, his indigo eyes cracked open slightly and blood pooling on his chest and on the floor._

She awoke screaming and covered in sweat and she curled up in a ball, eyes wide.

What on earth was that? What was that? The details were slipping away as she tried to recall them, but there was only one detail she clearly remembered.

Ikuto's dead body, crimson blood everywhere.

She sat up and put her head between her knees, rocking back and forth a little, trying to calm herself. This was absurd. It was nothing more that a dream that became a horrible nightmare. That was all. Besides, she could hardly remember it. She was probably having such creepy dreams because she was reading horror stories before bedtime. (As much as she'd rather not admit it, she loved scary stories and mystery.)

Feeling a little better but still very much awake, she flopped down backwards on her bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the light drizzle of the rain on her window and the ticking of her clock. She tried to match her breathing to the steady rhythm and found that it helped somewhat.

To get her mind off it, she thought of things that would cheer her up. Tadase's visit tomorrow, her book becoming a movie, hot chocolate, a hot sunny day, the lovely indigo eyes of a certain someone, and reading a great book.

She felt even more relaxed now. With a sigh, she got up from bed and slipped her slippers on and turned her desk lamp on. Since she was so awake, she might as well write more for her book. It was always good to get as much work done as possible.

She idly tapped her finger on the desk as she wrote, feeling much calmer than she had. Now that she thought about it, fretting over a silly nightmare would be foolish. There was no point in dwelling over something that wasn't even real.

As she spaced out for a moment, she faintly heard police sirens and frowned.

Police sirens? Now?

And they were drawing closer. Frowning even more, she pulled on a sweatshirt and sat down at the kitchen table. She jumped up out of her chair when there was knocking at her door.

She immediately headed for the door and was surprised to see two police officers standing there.

"Is there anything I can do for you, officers?" She wondered if she looked as confused as she felt.

The two quickly showed her their badges and stowed them away after she nodded.

"We were wondering if you've seen him around the neighborhood."

He produced a well-taken photo of Ikuto and handed it to Amu.

She took it, careful to not let any strange emotion show up on her face. "Is this the thief you have been looking for? I'm sorry officers, but I'm afraid I haven't seen him around here. I'm usually too busy working or at school so I wouldn't have seen him even if he had been in the area."

The two nodded and thanked her for her time as they closed the door.

Amu sighed and locked it, about to turn around and head back to bed, until she felt a pair of arms around her waist.

"That was kind of you." Ikuto chuckled quietly.

She sighed. "How on earth did you get in so easily? I'm almost positive my window was locked like it always is."

He smirked and shook his head. "I wouldn't be a very good thief if I couldn't get in through a window that easily.

Amu turned herself around in her arms, prepared to make some kind of remark, but gasped when she saw the state he was in.

Ikuto was completely soaked, his dark hair clinging to his face and neck. His shirt and pants were torn and just as soaked, and he was covered in small bruises and come cuts, some of which were still bleeding. He had a collection of bruises on his face and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"W-what happened to you?"

He sighed and released her as she stepped back in shock.

"Nothing much."

Her jaw dropped. "N-nothing much? You come over here looking like you've been left in a gutter somewhere and all you have to say is 'nothing much'?"

He rolled his eyes. "It looks a lot worse than it is. And I wasn't left in a gutter, by the way. You're being overly creative."

Glaring, she forced him into her room and made him sit on her desk chair while she chucked towels at him, commanding him to dry off.

"Why is it you come here when you have nowhere to go? This is the second time."

He shrugged. "No reason."

She could only sigh in exasperation, knowing she wouldn't get anything more detailed out of him.

"So why are the police looking for you so desperately then? You are just a thief."

He snorted. "Just a thief who has stolen so many valuables that their total worth is probably that of at least more than twenty of your houses."

She blinked. That much? No wonder then.

"I hope you won't be here long. I'll get in trouble if the police come back and catch you here."

"They couldn't catch me if they tried. I'm not worried about the police."

She sighed as she disinfected the cuts that were still bleeding. He didn't even wince. Didn't it hurt?

"I'm done. Will you be going now?" She cleaned up the towels and disinfectant.

"No. I'll be going." He stood up as he spoke, taking the towel that was on his head off and putting it on the floor.

"Okay then, be careful." Her back was turned to him so she didn't notice he was behind her until he hugged her tightly from behind, burying his face in her hair and saying nothing.

Amu could feel herself blush. "Ah...Ikuto?" He only nuzzled closer, his breath making her scalp tingle.

He said nothing, but stayed that way for a few more seconds until he released her without a word, and leaped lithely and quietly through the window and closed it behind himself.

Her heart in her throat, Amu locked the window and drew the curtains with shaking hands. What had that been about? Somehow, she didn't think that that had felt like teasing.

It was incredible. She hardly even knew him, but she felt like she had just learned something about him from that hug.

Taking off her slippers, she left the towels scattered on the floor and curled up under the covers in bed and almost immediately drifted off to sleep...

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Utau sat on the sofa in one of the many rooms in the house, feeling so alone in the big, empty room.

"Ikuto." She murmured, letting a few more tears make their way down her already flushed and tear stained face.

"I'm so sorry."

No one was there to answer her in that big, empty room.

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Well, it's finally done you guys! XD

Okay, so please leave me some pretty little reviews if you don't mind ;3

Thanks!


	6. Infallible

I don't know what to say other than how incredibly sorry I am that there was no update last week. I was painfully busy, and when I wasn't, I didn't feel like doing anything at all, let alone writing. I had this partially written, at least a good three-fourths of it, but still...

I'm sorry, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and forgive me for being busy! :3

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**Stolen**

_Part six:_

Infallible

* * *

_**Black Paper Moon  
**_

_**if you believe in me!  
**_

_**When you're  
**_

_**lost "Here" I am...  
**_

_**"Forever" With Your Soul  
**_

_**It'll sparkle if you look up  
**_

_**just like a moon...**_

_**-Paper Moon by Tommy Heavenly6**_

* * *

So she paced. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, keeping her footsteps in time with the clock that sounded so loud in her quite little home.

School was over for the day, so she had plenty of time to get home, fix her hair and clothes, and even have a meal before Tadase was to come over! Amu had already done all of this, and had nothing better to do other than pace for twenty minutes.

Feeling fidgety, she sighed and flopped down on the sofa and crossed her ankles, leaning back against the couch comfortably. Her fingers twitched and tapped and her eyes kept darting around the room, unable to focus on anything. When the doorbell rang she leaped up in surprise and glanced at the clock. _There's still 15 minutes to go...he's early?  
_

She tripped over her own legs as she jumped up to answer the door. Much to her surprise, it was Tadase, but he was accompanied by someone else.

"Ah, hello Miss Hinamori...I mean Amu." He smiled sweetly. "Sorry about arriving early, but...he wanted to meet you." Tadase indicated to the person standing to his left.

The boy next to him was so pretty he could have easily been mistaken for a girl. He had long, flowing dark hair that looked extremely sleek. He had lovely brown eyes and a face just as pretty. Under the baggy brown coat he wore, he appeared to be just as slender as a woman.

He bowed politely. "I am Nagihiko Fujisaki. It's an honor to meet you, Amu Hinamori." He shook her hand as he stepped inside after Tadase.

She blushed a little. He really was pretty. "It's...nice to meet you too."

Still feeling nervous, Amu led the two to her table, where they sat in silence for a few seconds.

Tadase spoke first. "You see, Fujisaki is a fan of yours and he found out that I was coming to visit you. He really wanted to meet you, so..."

Nagihiko smiled kindly. "I'm a choreographer. I organize dance performances in plays and musicals and such. I met Hotori through working with his company on a musical movie once."

Amu nodded, unsure of what to say.

"S-so...Tadase..."

He turned to her and smiled just as he always had, causing her to blush yet again. "Yes, Amu?"

"So...the book you wanted to make into a movie..."

"Ah, yes. May we see the rough draft? Unless it's at your editor's office..."

"No! No, it's here. It's just...very poorly written, that's all. I don't think it's worth reading just yet."

Nagihiko and Tadase glanced at each other briefly.

"Well," began Tadase, "could you give me a summary in your words then? To see if this is the book we want to use?"

Amu fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. Nagihiko gave her a smile which was supposed to be comforting, but she was too nervous to be able to feel calm. She did appreciate the kind gesture, however.

"...I don't think I can."

Tadase blinked, confused. She felt just as confused as he looked. Why couldn't she tell Tadase and Nagihiko, two people who were being completely kind to her, about a silly little book she was writing? She told people all the time. There was no reason to keep this hidden.

"I don't mean to press you, but is there a particular reason? If it's about leaking, I wouldn't do such a thing. I'm your greatest fan." Nagihiko smiled again.

Amu gave a nervous chuckle. Now they were going to take it the wrong way. Her story...she knew why she couldn't tell anyone about this until it's completion. It was all because of _him_. That annoying catlike thief who was a constant source of inspiration, confusion, and mystery. He was all to interesting. She felt like he was a secret that she wanted to keep to herself, at least for the time being. She had to figure him out herself first before she could really write about him.

That meant that there was no way she could tell them. It would be like telling them her deepest and probably darkest secret.

"I'm sorry." She inclined her head, trying to think of words that could fix the situation. "I just don't feel that this book is ready for anyone's eyes but mine and my editors." _The big mouthed old bag, _she added in her mind. "But when it's near completion I would be more than happy to allow you to read it."

The two blinked for a moment, then began to laugh softly.

Tadase smiled that sweet smile again, his soft reddish eyes softening. "It isn't a problem. We can always wait or use another book. If it makes you uncomfortable, then it's not a problem at all." Nagihiko nodded in agreement.

"But I really am you greatest fan, Amu Hinamori. Your writing style is amazing. I'll be sure to get a good look at your new book when it comes out." He smiled kindly again.

She felt herself blushing as she smiled back at them. "Thank you." She said in a small voice, and stared down at the floor.

After that exchange, the three talked and laughed over hot chocolate until Nagihiko had to leave or he would be late for his work.

He bowed, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry I must go now and bring Hotori with me. He is my ride, you see." He bowed a little, smiling awkwardly.

"No, no it's fine, really. Please come and visit again some other time, I would love to have you."

He didn't answer but beamed at her as he turned to leave. He paused when he noticed Tadase wasn't following him. "Hotori?"

Tadase turned to him. "I'll be out in a moment. Can you leave me alone with Amu, please?" Amu blushed a little at this.

Nagihiko nodded and closed the front door.

Tadase sighed as he put his scarf on and buttoned up his coat. The two once good friends stood facing each other in awkward silence.

"It was nice to see you again." She said, smiling shyly.

He beamed back at her. "It was great to see you too."

They were both silent again, fidgeting awkwardly.

"Tadase..."

"Amu..."

"I..."

They were startled when the front door flew open to reveal Nagihiko, looking completely different than he had before. His eyes were narrowed and there was no smile upon his face. "Hotori. You said you'd be a moment. My girlfriend will be enraged if I return home even _one_ second later from work than I am supposed to."

Tadase cringed at Nagihiko's blatant irritation. She would hate to be in his place.

"S-sorry Fujisaki, I forgot myself."

He turned to Amu once more, flashing her a quick smile. "I'll hope to see you again soon, Amu." He quickly kissed her cheek and left with an irritable Nagihiko. She could hear Nagihiko yelling something before she heard the slam of car doors and the car driving away.

Amu stood there in surprise, one hand over her cheek. What on earth did that mean? That he liked her? Or was it nothing more than a friendly gesture?

She collapsed on the couch again, her mouth slightly open and eyes as wide as could be.

"My first love...just kissed me...on the cheek..."

She smiled a little to herself, feeling completely idiotic and just shaking her head. Maybe she wouldn't be so alone and bored after all.

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Ikuto lay curled up on the couch, the very one Amu had slept on only a few days ago. Had it only been that long? It felt like longer.

He stared lazily at the curtained windows, listening to the rain. He shifted a little, and winced as the fabric of the sofa brushed against a rather ugly bruise.  
After he stopped moving, he sighed again and continued staring out the window. There was one thing to do, and it was something he would rather not resort to. It was only a last resort, he kept telling himself, and he would only do it if there were no other options left.

After a while, the phone rang, it's shrill ringing startling him out of his numb, peaceful trance. Sighing and running a hand through his already messy hair, he picked up the phone and spoke into the receiver.

"Hello?" He answered tiredly. There were few people who knew this number.

"I-Ikuto...I..."

He sat up completely, surprised that Utau was calling him, and even more surprised at the fact that she seemed to be crying. Like him, she rarely cried.

"What is it, Utau?" He asked firmly. "Is it Mother? Father?"

"No." She appeared to be choking back her tears.

He gritted his teeth. "Stepfather?"

"Yes...but let me finish before you hang up!" She said in a panicked voice, as if she knew that he had intended on hanging up.

"What happened?" He was feeling more irritable by the second the more he thought of that sickening man who controlled the destinies of him and his sister. He also felt irritation towards his real father for leaving them behind, irritation towards his mother for marrying a man like his stepfather, making them his captives.

"He w-wanted me to find out wh-who it is that you've been v-visiting...some of his people told him things..."

"_Who_ told him _what _things, Utau?" He asked sharply.

"I-I don't know!" She groaned. "Probably Mr. Nikaido or Ms. Sanjou or another one of his followers! I don't know!"

"What did you find out?" He clenched his teeth, eyes narrowing.

"I'm sorry Ikuto, I'm so sorry, please don't do anything reckless! He said he would hurt mother or you if I didn't get a hold of the information about what you've been doing lately and I'm sorry!" She sounded even more panicked.

"..." He didn't answer, waiting for the rest of her answer.

Her voice sounded far away and shaky when she answered next. "I f-found out what you've been doing. I don't know what they're going to do next, and I don't know who it is you've been visiting, but they do. They wouldn't tell me, and if it's someone important...you should say goodbye now."

He hung up the phone after that, leaving Utau listening to the dead line on her phone. She curled up into a ball as the phone fell from her trembling hands. The older brother she loved so much might not come out of this alive. All she wanted was to love him, but Stepfather had to take it away from both of them. _If Father was here..._

Utau shook off the thoughts, staring listlessly at the wall. Ikuto hated all mentions of both Father and Stepfather.

"I'm sorry, Ikuto. Sorry I couldn't be more special to you, and I'm sorry I couldn't make your wish come true." She sighed. When she sat up, her face was cold and determined. She was done with the apologies; those were thrown away as soon as he hung up on her.

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"Nikaido."

The messy-haired man sighed impatiently as his surname was called so coldly by the man he hated nearly as much as the Tsukiyomi children did.

Nearly.

"I assume all the preparations are in place."

Nikaido rolled his eyes behind the man's back, grateful he couldn't see. "Yes sir. The older Tsukiyomi was taken care of upon resistance just as you asked. However, sir, you didn't expect him to fold to your demands, now did you?"

The older man turned towards the younger, his icy eyes boring into his nonchalant ones.

"Perhaps you are right there."

"Ah. Of course, Kazuomi Hoshina sir, but have you been home lately to care for Souko? Does she worry about her children at all?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "The woman couldn't tell the difference between me and her children anymore. She's lost it ever since _he_ left."

Nikaido only raised his eyebrows in curiosity until a knock sounded at the office door.

"Come in." Called Kazuomi.

A slight woman with short inky hair and soft, wide gray eyes entered the room. Her pale white skin stood out in the darkness.

"Sir." She said in a calm, quiet voice full of respect.

"Mikage." He nodded in her direction. "You oversaw the resistance of Ikuto Tsukiyomi, am I correct to think this?"

"That you are." She murmured. "However, I would appreciate it if you would not pair me up with Touma any more. He is a bumbling oaf who messes up every mission he is given, sir."

Kazuomi narrowed his eyes. "Nikaido, is this true?"

Nikaido only rolled his eyes. "As usual, sir, Touma is out of control with his habit of beating the subject before they even speak." His voice was still full of that same sarcastic nonchalance as usual.

"Send Sanjou to pair up with him. She'll deal with him." He was speaking to Mikage now.

She nodded. "I understand, sir." She gracefully loped out of the room.

"And you, Nikaido..."

The said person sighed. "Yes, boss?"

He threw a file folder at him and turned back to stare out at the rainy night sky. "You know what to do."

Nikaido picked up the folder off the table and flipped through is. "I doubt this is legal." He said in a toneless voice. "However, I'll do it."

Kazuomi didn't answer; he didn't speak until he was certain that Nikaido had exited.

"Ikuto...will submit to be. And I shall use any means to force him to crumple under my fist."

The man stood stock still as he stared into the night, his mind lost in thoughts of control.

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Amu awoke with a jolt as a rumble of thunder sounded. Rubbing her eyes blearily, she stumbled into the kitchen then into her room and turned on the light, examining her appearance. She had fallen asleep right after Tadase and Nagihiko had left! How ridiculous. And fully dressed as well.

She groaned and headed over to her dresser to get a change of clothes. She did not feel like sleeping at all after having been asleep for so long. She didn't feel like turning and looking at the clock, but if she had to estimate, she would guess about four to five hours.

She changed into a comfortable pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt, leaving her hair down over her shoulders.

She was just about to settle down at her desk when she heard a tap at her window. She sighed; she knew exactly who it would be at this hour.

She stood up and made her way to the window, unlocking it and opening it.

"Hurry up and get in, it's cold." She complained in a whisper as he sprung gracefully into her room.

She quickly locked the window, rubbing her clothed arms to ward off the cold.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

Ikuto didn't answer her, but stared at her so intensely that she could feel his gaze on her. She looked away, feeling awkward. "Um, Ikuto...? Something wrong?"

He leaned against her wall, arms folded across his chest. "Too many things wrong." He muttered darkly, glancing at her before glancing back outside through the window. Confused, Amu shrugged and seated herself at her desk again, shaking her head at his vagueness.

His vague and cryptic hints were most certainly never anything new.

There was only the sound of their breathing and the soft scratch of her pencil on paper. The metronome of the clock provided a gentle rhythm. _It's almost too calm. _She mused as she crossed out a particularly awful line she had just written and pondered how to fix it.

Who would have thought that the very source of her agitation over the past few days would become her source of calm too?

Despite the calm she felt, however, Ikuto did not seem to feel the same. His eyes were dark with a strange emotion she could not read (Hate? Or Anger?) and he stood as still as a statue, his arms crossed in front of him as he leaned against the windowsill, his face tilted towards the outside.

She had barely touched the paper with the tip of her pen before it all happened.

There were footsteps. Loud footsteps, quiet footsteps, and confident footsteps. If Amu had to guess, would guess three people. The rainfall had been steadily decreasing over the past few minutes, so the footsteps were noticeable now.

Ikuto stiffened, his eyes widened the slightest bit and shifted from his position against the wall to that of someone who was prepared to run or flee.

"You're coming with me." He muttered, not meeting her eyes. His gaze flickered between her window and front door. He appeared even more tense than before, but somehow, determined as well.

She frowned blinking. "But wh-?"

He gazed at her now, the look of bitterness in his eyes so intense that it silenced her immediately. "Just do as I say."

Her eyebrows furrowed. What was he so worried about? It was probably just the police, anyway.

"You might want to pack important things." He stated coldly, still tensed as if to run.

Not in the mood to argue with him, she rummaged through her closet until she found her old high school backpack. Quickly and silently, she packed a few clothes, some money, and four notebooks. She noticed him raise an eyebrow at this but other than that he paid her no attention.

Once she was packed, she quickly pulled a pair of jeans over her pajama pants and a warm jacket over her shirt. Whatever it was to get that cocky thief so worried must be something of great consequence.

Noticing that she was ready, he turned to her now. "Come." He said quietly, his face less bitter now, but rather dark and thoughtful. He was just as difficult to read as ever.

"Tell me why."

He paused, thinking. Then he extended a hand to her. "Just trust me. It's all I can say for now."

She opened her mouth, as if thinking that wasn't a real explanation, but when her front door was knocked down with a crash, she practically threw herself at him and thought better of it.

He wrapped his arms around her protectively and slipped out the window. There was much commotion coming from her room and she winced as she heard things being destroyed. Her only home...how serious was this trouble that Ikuto had to flee somewhere with her.

When they were far enough away, Amu found herself and Ikuto atop a small, tree covered hill that was just at the city limits.

Flopping down on her back and staring up at the cloudy night sky, she then decided to ask.

"What happened back there? I probably don't have a home anymore. And whatever adventure you're taking me on had better be for a very good reason." Realizing something, Amu sat up.

"This is about your 'business' isn't it?!" She gasped. "No way, we just ran from the FBI or something? Or your mafia boss? Or if their your heist buddies you had better give them their fair share or else they'll keep going after you! I knew it had something to do with that, you criminal!" She groaned, pausing in her accusatory rant for a brief moment. Ikuto took this opportunity to speak, seeming to be slightly amused at her outburst.

"Firstly, if you're this loud you'll be found. Secondly, it's not the FBI. And I work alone. I'm offened that you think of me as nothing more than a criminal." He grinned lazily. The expression was so much different than his previous one that she nearly fell over.

"Alright, so why me then?"

"Hm?"

"It has something to do with your 'business' and don't you lie to me."

"My, you're so demanding."

He sighed, his expression more serious now.

"Yes, it is a part of my 'business' as you so bluntly put it." He snorted.

"So what are you stealing this time, and why do I have to be dragged into it?"

He smirked again, leaning closer to her. She leaned back slightly.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm stealing you."

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Lulz. The whole freaking plot is finally revealed in the last line! It's the whole reason I decided to write this story, based around the idea 'what if Ikuto kidnapped Amu?' so out came this AU.

It's also what the summary means. He 'stole' her for a good reason, I assure you he's not doing it just to sex her up or anything. Well, hopefully next week's chapter won't be delayed!

Please review, everyone...


	7. Trace the Heart

Well, I'll just say that I'm in love with you guys! You are all just too awesome. Your support has been great.

This chapter has some indecisive, possibly confusing and possibly OOC Amuto. (I hope it's not OOC! But it really is indecisive and maybe confusing.)

I don't have much to say, other than Ikuto is sexy, and enjoy you guys! XD

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**Stolen**

_Part Seven:_

Trace the Heart

* * *

_**You are frightened**_

****_**  
Whispering like shouts at midnight**_

_**  
Now at the worst condition**_

_**  
In the glass window appears the star falling**_

_**  
When your eye closed, your sky keeps falling...**_

_**-0:00 AM by Acid**_

* * *

Amu did fall back this time, staring up at the intense look in his eyes and completely unable to say a thing. _She_ was what he had been planning to steal all along? _She_ was the one he had been intending to take? _She_ was the...valuable?

She shook her head so her hair flew in her face. It was just incomprehensible and completely ridiculous. It was just too much to take in. That one statement scattered any logical and calm thoughts she may have once had and turned them into dust. She figured she must be losing her grip on reality because, despite the fact that she was just kidnapped by a thief not only wanted by the law, but by his own people as well? Because that is the only possible conclusion she could come to.

He was no longer leaning over her now, but gazed away into the distance, looking tense again. It was likely they would be on the move again soon. It was clear he regretted getting her involved, she could see that much. However, now that she was involved...

She frowned, cursing the creative gears turning in her mind. She was in some very serious trouble and all she could think of was how great a story this 'adventure' would make?

...She knew she would be writing it as soon as she was able to.

Amu groaned and sat back up, shaking her head at herself. She really needed to learn to prioritize when in such dire circumstances.

Unbidden, her mind turned back to their circumstances, and what Ikuto had said. He wanted her to trust him; but did she have the capacity to?

"_Just trust me."_

He made it sound so simple. As if everything would become clear if she did that one thing. It was so difficult to trust someone who had gotten your house possibly destroyed and then kidnapped you while keeping you in the dark. She felt a little bit hurt at this; he wasn't telling her anything and she had come to think of them as...acquaintances, at the very least. Friends? Not yet. Anything beyond that would take much more work.

_Beyond that? Why on earth would I want to go beyond being just friends with this pervert? _She put her head on her knees, seriously wishing that there was a rock she could hit her head against.

Ikuto suddenly stood, tense. She froze and slowly stood up. He appeared deep in thought rather than tense, however.

"We need somewhere to stay the night." He muttered, furrowing his eyebrows as he thought.

Amu watched him from her position on the ground next to him, wondering what was going to happen next. Whatever it was, she hoped it wouldn't be too difficult or might endanger their lives further.

Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and ran.

He ran faster than she would have thought possible; his footsteps were light and lithe, not unlike those of a particularly deadly predator cat.

At one point, she forgot how long she remained in his arms. It was astounding how much stamina he seemed to have, it looked liked he wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. Too tired to think, she began to doze off, her breathing evening out and her eyelids sliding shut...

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Nikaido held the pay phone's receiver a good length from his ear and leaned against the phone booth with a weary sigh, not much in the mood to listen to the director's ceaseless ranting. Just because he was so desperate about caging his son did most certainly not mean that he did. Well damn, not one of them cared about his familial problems except for the man himself. Whether his wife really was a loon and whether his rebellious stepson really was a big problem, Nikaido could have cared less. It was all just stupid, really.

Mikage stood outside the booth, Touma's hulking form beside her. Her lips were pressed together in obvious distate; she couldn't stand the man.

Only after Hoshina's rant had ended did Nikaido dare put the receiver back to his ear.

"Sorry sir, but we will find them. They won't be difficult to track, and we can figure out where they will be going because wherever they go will suit Ikuto's personality best, not the girl's."

Kazuomi exhaled heavily from the other line. "You should have been able to capture her. She's nothing more than a frail nineteen year old girl! It's ridiculous that she was allowed to escape in the first place. Just remember, one more false move and it's your neck on the line." With that, he hung up.

Nikaido arched his eyebrows at the automated voice informing him he had been disconnected and after sighing, he hung up the phone and stepped outside.

Mikage's head immediately snapped up, seeming to forget her disgust of Touma for a moment.

"I suppose he's furious."

"So furious he'll pop a vein. I'm kind of hoping he will get just that mad."

Mikage rolled her eyes. "You don't change. And that kind of talk is not wise. For now, we shall rest and avoid detection by the police for breaking and entering."

Nikaido shrugged. "Whatever works best. I just want to get this tedious task over with. Doing his errands is a pain enough, but his son is one of the biggest pains I've ever had the misfortune of meeting in my whole life."

Touma suddently straightened up, smoothing his dark hair back from his forehead. "Tonight we rest," He thundered, " and tomorrow we attack."

Nikaido rolled his eyes along with Mikage when Touma's attention was occupied elsewhere. "Of course, of course." He muttered, walking off with Mikage right behind him, and Touma close on her tail.

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When Amu awoke, she was in an unfamiliar bed.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to figure out where Ikuto had taken her. The last thing she remembered was Ikuto carrying her and trying to find somewhere to hide. Tired, she had willingly allowed him to carry her off. But she didn't remember falling asleep! What a foolish mistake.

Though still completely exhausted, she stretch, searching the room for a clock and unsurprised to find that there was not one available. Shaking her head she searched the small dark room for Ikuto, and saw him fast asleep in a chair.

Smiling a little to herself, she stood up and walked softly over to where he was, watching his sleeping face curiously. This was new to her; she hadn't ever seen the thief without a cold expression on his face. Seeing him so unguarded was amusing. She was sorely tempted to pinch his cheeks, but for dignity's sake, refrained from doing so.

Instead she leaned over, cocking her head from right to left as she tried to figure him out. He was such a mystery to her. Such a _tempting _mystery. And Amu adored mysteries. Despite the fact that this one was in the form of a thieving human man.

Now that he was peaceful like this, she realized that she liked him a good deal more than she could have fathomed. But when he opened his mouth he seriously was irriating.

"It would be better if you could talk without a dirty comment coming out of your mouth every other word."

Shaking her head and shrugging, she was just leaning away when he pulled her down on top of him, his dark, shining eyes boring into hers, a focused look upon his face. She felt her heart rate speed up and took a slow, deep breath. It was incredible how used to this she was now. Used to how twisted his personality was already!

"That was offensive." He whispered silkily, his voice making her shiver.

"It was only the truth." She whispered back harshly, her lower lip jutting out in indignation. Did he seriously think that trying to sex up younger girls was normal?

As if he could read her mind he laughed softly. "Ah, but there is so much more to me than that."

His face was immediately serious again, his eyes so intense that she wanted so badly to look away, but at the same time she wanted to drown in those eyes that, whenever she thought about them, made her restless.

"How much more?" She asked softly, trying to decipher the hidden emotion in his eyes.

He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, releasing her. "There is too much to say, and too much I would rather you of all people not hear."

She glared at him now. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He narrowed his eyes, jaw clenched. "Nothing." He turned his head away quickly.

Growling in frustration, she flung herself on the bed and curled up on her side so she was facing away from him, irritated tears forming in her eyes. He was so difficult! He was 'stealing' her as he so bluntly put it, so shouldn't she know at least one thing about what was going on? Ridiculous and stupid, that's what this was.

She stiffened as she felt him slide on the bed behind her, his chest against her back. She remained completely still, holding her breath.

"I can't say some things," he murmured directly into her ear, "because now just isn't the time. Later is a better time."

"Later..." she whispered weakly, focusing intently on a crack in the paint on the wall, trying to ignore the feel of his warmth on her back.

"But," she began, "isn't it hard hiding some of these things? Do you have anyone special enough to you to tell them? I--" Amu quickly shut herself up before she wound up saying too much. He hardly seemed like the same person when they were alone together in this small dark room.

She was even more surprised when his arms held her from behind, so similar to that time he had come to her covered in wounds.

"Special person..." he mused, thinking it over. "Hardly. Isn't that sort of thing supposed to be mutual?"

"What do you mean?" She could feel his breath on her neck as he answered.

"It's nothing. Just thinking out loud."

She fell silent, not sure what to say and unsure if she could say anything with the older man so close.

"What is it you're thinking about anyway?" She asked. "You're just full of mysteries, I don't understand a single bit of you."

He shook his head. "I know. There is much I could tell, but much more I would rather not speak of."

"Why?"

"It's a reason not worth saying out loud."

"If it's not a good reason, then tell me," she pressed, "although you always tease me and annoy me, I still want to figure you out as a person...Ikuto."

"Then," he pressed himself closer to her, making her gasp, "answer me this and I will tell you in the simplest way I can. You think I'm the one with mysteries."

She rolled her eyes, knowing he couldn't see it but the sarcasm leaked into her answer anyway. "Right, because I'm just such a mysterious person."

"You are to me."

"Okay, then ask away preferably _before_ you seduce me, Cassanova."

"What is it _you_ think of me anyway?"

Amu stiffened. He was so to the point that he had just brushed aside her weak attempt at teasing as if it were nothing. Unless he was serious about the seduction part?

"I...think...about you..." She stretched out the sentence, as if trying to make sense of it.

He was quite, so she scrambled for an answer. "Why w-would you want to know something like that?"

"It's important." He said with no emotion in his voice. "I need to make sure of something."

"And that something is...?"

"Something you will find out when you answer my question."

She fidgeted, having no idea how to respond. This was going in the opposite direction, not going the way she planned at all. Such a ridiculous thing she was worrying about.

"I...don't know." She said honestly. "I don't know how to describe it or what to call it. Because you're such a mystery, I try to figure you out any chance I get, but I never am able to. And because I'm always thinking about you...I-I mean..." She stuttered, realizing how that would sound. She didn't mean it in that way!

"Turn around." He commanded.

Afraid of what his expression was like, she slowly rolled over to face him, her face inches from his, a blush visible on her cheeks as his eyes bored into hers with that intense look she had seen only a few times before.

"Was you answer honest?"

"W-well...more or less."

"Is that the best answer I'll get?" His expression remained unchanging. One wrong word here and this moment, this point in time would be destroyed and smashed, and would never be brought up again. Amu chose to tread carefully.

"It is possible. If I mean them, how would you react?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, and the intensity she saw there made her blush darker. "I wonder..." He murmured. He seemed to think of something carefully, for his hand on her shoulder tightened briefly. Then, as if he thought better of it, he loosened his grip and brought her into a tight embrace.

"For another time also." He replied. "Until you can finish what you were saying and mean it."

Amu nodded, accepting that. She was relieved that he didn't seem to mind her incomplete answer.

But how would he react? Would he think her too strange and push her away? In this one night, in these few minutes, she felt as if she had done something she hadn't done since high school—fallen for someone. There was no way she would ever tell him this unless he was in love with her too, which she doubted. If he was hugging her just as a form of comfort, warmth, or even if it was all lies. She'd take it all. All his lies, thievery, stealing, and law breaking.

It was ridiculous and very dangerous, but suddenly she didn't care any more. She couldn't care about such small and worthless obstacles. Never before had she ever had to fight so hard with words. Words had always been her allies, her only real friends in a bitter world that seemed so full of hurt. They guided her through the darkness in her life, and she knew they always would. However, words would not help her, not this time. She had to rely on her hear—something that she had never done, let alone consider doing.

She let her eyes slide shut as she weakly hugged him back. For now, she stumbled over words. But there would be a time when words would be hers again, and she could somehow convey to this mysterious stranger how she felt about him. (Mysterious stranger? A bizarre way to put it, but as she reflected on it, she knew it was true.)

Amu couldn't let herself doze off, despite how comfortable and sleepy she was at that moment. She was afraid she would awake and this would be nothing more than a particularly vivid dream of her far too creative mind. No matter how weary and irritable she would be the next day, she was reluctant to relinquish her hold on the world and tumble into a place full of dreams, where her beautiful words took on a solid form.

Was he asleep? His breathing sounded so even. Then again, he was more difficult than anyone to read than anyone she had ever met or even written about. His past was clearly a dark and painful one, and one he didn't want to share with her until she could speak confidently and mean it. She blushed slightly as she thought about that. Amu knew she could easily say them, but she was more or less afraid of what he might do if she did. The thought scared her, so she shied away from speaking with too much meaning or emotion.

After hardly more than a minute, her own thoughts and the comfort of Ikuto's warmth and steady breathing lulled her into a worried and confused sleep, where Ikuto flew on black angel's wings as she ran beneath the dancing stars in the night sky...

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Utau shivered as she pulled the cap lower over her eyes. This was where she was to meet one of her stepfather's agents so she could be escorted to his house. She had to speak to Mother. It was just necessary.

After the mysterious vanishing of the man known as Aruto Tsukiyomi, his wife, Souko, was broken. She was beyond broken; there was simply no way to repair her. It was if she had shattered into thousands of pieces and at least a hundred pieces had gone missing. Without those pieces, she would never be whole again.

However, she was the only one who knew where he might have gone. But, in her distress, she ran back to a man she never thought she would see again in her life and remarried him, thus unknowingly binding her children to him. It was for this reason that the poor Tsukiyomis owed the Hoshinas a fair amount of money. An amount that Ikuto had been attempting to pay back. However, once he realized what he had gotten himself into, he stopped stealing.

Utau did not know what he had gotten himself into, nor what her father had done to deserve such a horrible reputation in his eyes.

She heard them before she saw them. Soft footsteps coming up behind her. At least two people.

She slowly turned, her eyes cold as the weather was behind her sunglasses. It was 6:00 AM and the least these men could do was be on time.

"Utau Hoshina...or rather, Tsukiyomi." She didn't' like the way the first man smirked when he said her true surname.

"Come this way please." The second man was completely indifferent and emotionless, for which she was relieved.

She silently followed them, scowling at the dark-suited backs the entire time as she stood on the train, still saying nothing. The train was mostly empty, probably because the company had rented it out. She, the men, and the driver were the only ones present on the subway.

It wasn't a terribly long ride, and after exiting the train station, the walk wasn't long either. It felt like an eternity to Utau, who hadn't seen her mother in a terribly long time.

She felt like her head was in the clouds as the men let her enter the dark little house first, closing the door behind her and standing guard just outside.

Feeling like she was entering the house of the dying person, Utau quietly strode over to the sofa, where a woman who was probably once very lovely sat. Her eyes were that same lovely shade of violet that Ikuto and Utau's were. Her long blond hair that once was like silk now resembled hay and was pulled into a loose ponytail. She had many blankets draped over her shoulders, and in her hands was a cracked and empty mug.

"Mother." Utau said quietly.

The woman looked up, her violet eyes looking lost and clouded. "Who are you?" She asked in a hoarse whisper, squinting at the girl before her.

Utau took a steadying breath. "That doesn't matter...Souko." The woman didn't think she had children anyway.

Souko Tsukiyomi only stared, her mouth slightly open in curiosity.

Utau cut straight to the point, even though she knew how her mother would react.

"Where is Aruto Tsukiyomi?"

Her eyes widened and she took her head between her hands and began to sob quietly. "Aruto, my dear Aruto..." She wailed and shook her head while sobbing. "He told me nothing, nothing! Leave my dear Aruto's memory in peace..."

Utau frowned, and feeling irritated now, approached her mother and crouched down to her level.

"Where is my father? Please tell me, Mother. Where is Father? Where?"

Souko looked at her with wide frightened eyes. "Kazuomi? Where? Where is Aruto? Why, why, why...?" She cried again quietly to herself.

Swallowing hard, she tried again. "Where is my father, Aruto Tsukiyomi?" She asked in a firm voice. This time, Souko looked up, her amethyst eyes wide again, this time with surprise.

"Aru...to?"

"That's right."

"He...he's gone." Her mother's voice turned bitter. "Went somewhere. Hardly told me anything. Just left...just like that. Oh, what will my children think when I tell them their father has left us?" She groaned and fell back on the couch.

She was just about to interrogate her once again before her loathed stepfather entered the house. "That's enough. You've stressed Souko out enough."

Glaring, Utau slammed open the front door and scattered the guards there, walking quickly down the street, eager to get away from the pained cries of her mother.

Utau stared up at the morning sky, her eyes full of longing. "If only you were here, father...things could be right again. Things would be well."

Then pulling her hat as low as it would go over her eyes, she kept her head down and walked quickly without looking back.

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Amu awoke to the cloudy early morning. Rubbing her eyes from tiredness, she blinked sleepily as she leaned up a little to glance at the clock. 6:45 AM. So early?

Yawning, she snuggled back into bed...only to realized _who_ it was she was snuggling into with a gasp and a blush, causing him to wake up, blinking from tiredness as well.

He stretched not unlike a cat might, then wrapped his arms around her loosely. "Morning." He purred, laughing as she struggled.

"Let me go you...you...you...!" She couldn't find a word bad enough to describe him.

He laughed again and stared her in the eyes with a smirk. "I say we stay here a little longer." His grip tightened on her slightly and the look in his eyes was dizzying.

"F-fine." She mumbled, casting her eyes downward out of awkwardness.

Ikuto closed his eyes, clearly seriously intending to go back to sleep. Bored and not so tired she could sleep, Amu began idly tracing symbols on his chest. He twitched a little but other than that made no movements or comments.

Her fingertip paused right over his heard, where she traced a heart a few times over, deep in thought. After tracing it about twice, she dropped her finger, her face still thoughtful.

He cracked an eye open to see why she had stopped. Amu had the strangest look on her face, one that was thoughtful, worried, emarassed, and slightly melancholy.

"Why did you stop?" He asked, bemused.

Her eyes snapped up to him and she bit her lip. "I traced over your heart."

He blinked lazily at her. "Did you?"

She sighed. "Mm."

"Does it matter much?"

"To me...it does..."

Her face became swamped in anxiousness, her eyes worried.

He raised a hand to her face and fiddled with a small lock of her hair. "And why might that be?"

She looked back up at him. "It's something I don't understand."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer as she blushed uncomfortably.

"Your heart." She said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

His expression relaxed into his usual look and he shook his head. "That's good. I don't think you'd make much of a cardiologist."

She looked up at him and scowled. "That wasn't funny."

He rolled his eyes. "But what I think isn't something you should be worrying about." He exhaled slowly. "You'll see in good time." He said so quietly she wasn't sure she heard him right.

Feeling uncomfortable as she did so, she slowly wrapped her arms around his chest and closed her eyes. "I wish it was something I couldn't worry about."

He was silent as he returned the embrace, resting his head atop hers.

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Lots of fluff lol. I was falling asleep while writing the end, so sorry! XP

As for the next update, I'll try to get on it as soon as I can, but I'm going to be super busy because of the holidays. Sooo... I'll try updating by after Christmas, but no promises! I'll be pretty busy and next weeks update may have to be delayed.

Okay, so have a great winter break and a Merry Christmas! :D

Oh, and please review. Danke.

* * *


	8. Whiplash Romancing

Well, happy new year everyone! Let's hope the new year will be FULL of Amuto. XD

I'm gonna be going on a trip so I can't see all your lovely reviews. But please, keep on leaving them! They've inspired me so very much. I'm honored, really.

Alright, chapter 8! This story's gone so far, I'm thrilled! Also, I understand the things I write may tend to be confusing. If anything, and I mean _anything_ is unclear to you, please tell me. I'll fill you in best as I can.

Also, I can't say I remember if I've reminded people, but...this is categorized as tragedy. Keep that in mind. That little future flash at the beginning of chapter one may or may not be true. Just so you know ;D

Long authors note...well, enough ranting, on with the chapter!

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**Stolen**

_Part Eight:_

Whiplash Romancing

* * *

_**I only caught a brief glance of your figure in the light  
**_

_**There was the wind of love before my eyes that squinted in the glare  
**_

_**If I embraced the lakes in your eyes  
**_

_**I think I'd feel like drowning...**_

_**-My Fairy by Hikaru Midorikawa**_

* * *

When Amu next awoke, it wasn't until the afternoon. She blinked sleepily, stretching and feeling calm as ever as she remembered the events of earlier this morning and the previous night. For whatever reason, she didn't feel as anxious and worn out. She felt oddly refreshed.

Yawning, she shuffled up out of bed, shuddering as her skin came in contact with the freezing cold air. A quick glance at the clock told her it was nearly one o'clock PM.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room to make sure Ikuto wasn't there so she could change. He wasn't present. Wherever he was, she didn't know, but intended to find him as soon as she was decent. He wouldn't dare ditch her after all that...would he?

Slipping on her warmest boots and coat, she exited the room into the quiet hallways of the hotel. Her hair was a mess, so she pulled her hood over her head, hugging herself as she walked, shivering. The cold truly was and forever would be the worst enemy and someday the death of Amu Hinamori, the great prodigy author.

There wasn't too much of a crowd at the free lunch buffet; only a few couples. Feeling a strange pang of loneliness and fervently wishing Ikuto was there, she strode down the stairs and piled random foods onto her plate. It hardly mattered since it was free anyway.

She ate in a moody silence, wishing she had someone to talk to. She glanced at the the other couples. Each one of them was horribly gooey and lovey-dovey. She wrinkled her nose as she took another bite of her sandwich and yawned again.

Suddenly not feeling hungry, she dumped her tray and made her way back up the stairs to their room, sighing nearly every step of the way. Maybe it would be better to just stay in bed for the rest of the day. Deciding that she liked that idea, she was about to open the door when someone snatched her around the waist from behind. It was way too obvious who it was, especially since the said person started laughing at the shocked expression on her face.

"Ikuto, you idiot!" She punched him lightly on the chest, scowling. This stupid, thieving, good-for-nothing, catlike, runaway freeloader that she barely knew had gotten her dragged into this stupid scheme! The least he could do was be nice to her, but no. He had to tease her and annoy her whenever the opportunity arose. And the strangest part? She had fallen for this idiotic pervert.

When his laughter didn't cease, she stomped into the room ahead of him, muttering something along the lines of 'you dumbass' as she closed the door behind her. Ikuto stopped laughing to raise an eyebrow in amusement. Now things would get interesting.

Amu sat on the bed with her back to the door, scowling out the curtained window. Damn him and his stupid jokes and teasing. If he wasn't such a pain in the ass all the time, maybe it would be easier to tell him exactly what she was thinking! Whatever that might be.

Hearing footsteps behind her she turned around and glared at the lean figure behind her. His long arms hung by his sides and he wore baggy jeans and a simple black hoodie. His hair was damp from the weather outside and his eyes were bright and catlike, as usual.

Amu slipped off her coat and hung it over a nearby chair, frowning to herself as she did so.

It had been nearly a full day and yet whoever it was that was after Ikuto hadn't shown up. What kind of villains were they anyway? Didn't most villains prefer to wait until the dead of the night when the hero or heroine was completely unsuspecting and unaware? That way the villain could kill or kidnap the hero/heroine in their sleep.

Or maybe that was just Amu's cliché novel thoughts talking.

She shook her head at herself, but thinking about clichéd story plots made her want to write her own. Almost completely forgetting Ikuto was in the room, she went to her backpack and reached around inside until she pulled out her notebook with an 'Aha!' and sat down on the bed, a pencil behind her ear, and opened the notebook up over her legs as she flipped through to find out where she had left off.

Seeming to realize that she had completely forgotten he was there, Ikuto came up behind her, resting his head on her shoulder. "Writing about me again?"

Amu squeaked loudly and flailed, sending her pencil and precious notebook flying.

"What the hell Ikuto?"

He laughed. "Your reactions are too amusing."

"Oh, so that's what it is then? You only do everything you've done to me because you think my reactions are amusing? So it was all a joke to you, I was something to laugh at."

Scowling at him, she grabbed her notebook and pencil and sat down in a far corner of the room and wrote, a scowl upon her face the entire time. However, as minutes passed, her face seemed to relax as she wrote, and on occasion, she would giggle quietly to herself, a small smile upon her lips as she wrote with enthusiasm. It was apparent that she really and truly enjoyed writing.

He couldn't help but grin a little as he watched her write. She had gone from furious to completely at ease in a manner of minutes. It was interesting to watch.

But a troubled expression crossed his face as he recalled what she said. She thought the only reason for anything he did towards her was all for a good laugh? Well it was true that some of it was, but it was because her reactions amused him. And it was for another reason, one that this dense girl hadn't figured out yet. It took only ten minutes from the previous night for him to figure out what she thought of him, and he refused to do anything or tell her anything until she was honest. It made sense to him to do things that way.

But she made it so difficult. Her tone of voice, her sad anger, all of it made him just want to tell her everything. However, that was something he had to avoid. If he told her too much, she would practically be a criminal herself.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

Utau now knew of what she wasn't supposed to. Damn, damn, damn.

Nikaido hung up the receiver bitterly. Damn the Tsukiyomis and the Hoshinas both. The two families together made his life so God damn difficult.

Well, the only relief was that she didn't know everything. But what was it she even knew? The rantings of a madwoman? Director Hoshina was clear enough to say that his wife was plain insane. However, if the Tsukiyomi girl was able to get something of value out of his wife, then the woman must not have snapped completely.

And hell, it wasn't like any of that guy's workers knew anything either. And Nikaido hated rushing into things blindly without explanation. But then again, it was what he'd been doing for a while now, and it was all just pitiful.

Mikage looked solemn as he exited the phone booth. Her expression didn't change; she probably suspected the news.

"Now what?"

He sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair in frustration. "Complications. The plural word. Too damn many."

She idly twirled a thin lock of hair around her pale finger. Touma stood behind her and next to him was Sanjou, who had just arrived. All three didn't look pleased; Mikage looking emotionless, Touma looking irritated, and Sanjou had a bitter countenance. Nikaido had no idea what kind of expression was on his face, but it must have been a frustrated or angry one.

Mikage spoke first. "So what now?"

Nikaido smiled grimly; if anything, it was more of a grimace. He noticed them all shift uncomfortably except for Sanjou, who smirked slightly as she pushed the glasses up the bride of her nose, the glare of light on the lenses hiding her eyes.

"Utau is a problem that can be dealt with. She doesn't move from place to place, and she doesn't have any...luggage. Because of this, Ikuto's usual pattern might change, and he might be slowed down. My guess is that his number one priority right now is to keep the writer out of harm's way. As long as he has her, capturing him will be that much simpler. As will disposing of him." The Director had clearly stated that if the rebellious Tsukiyomi boy was of no use any more, he was to be 'erased'.

Mikage's expression changed into an uncaring mask; an expression she wore whenever she was resigned to doing something she didn't want to. Touma looked almost eager at the prospect of a hunt-to-kill order and Sanjou's expression didn't change; whatever emotion her eyes were showing was not visible.

Nikaido turned heel on the three, knowing they would follow. He squinted up into the glare of the bright, early noon sunlight, his resolve not wavering. He had killed before. And he would do it again, until he could overthrow the director and take total control of the company.

And he had three people who would support him, no matter how ridiculous his ideas were.

Now it was time to play a little game of cat and mouse.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Utau finally returned home, pulling her hair free from the long, loose ponytail she had tied it up in.

A frown on her pretty face, she sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs, staring up at the ceiling. After leaving Mother's house, she had gone out to eat and walk around in order to better her mood. She did feel somewhat better, but the fact that her mother's condition had gotten so much worse was troubling, to say the least. She massaged the bridge of her nose between two long fingers.

Stepfather was as evasive as usual. Hardly surprising, he didn't ever change. If anything, the mysterious disappearance of Aruto Tsukiyomi made him exultant. He was even unduly kind to Souko. However, Ikuto was never fond of him. He grew up to be a rather rebellious boy, even as he was caged by his stepfather, he always did as he wished, never as Kazuomi Hoshina wished.

This part of his personality was what made Utau worry about him sometimes. Such as now. She knew he had fled; even though Stepfather wasn't saying anything (as usual), she knew her brother was long gone with that new girl who had capture his interest. The writer? It didn't matter much. The only reason Utau ever became acquainted with a girl Ikuto knew was to scare them silly until they fled, literally screaming and crying.

She leaned her head back in exhaustion, letting her eyes slide shut. She was too exhausted to move from waking up early and trekking all over town without stopping anywhere, except for food. Then she had gone straight home, feeling too tired to go anywhere else.

Right when she was on the brink of what could have been a very peaceful nap, the shrill ringing of a telephone woke her with a start. She leaped up and grabbed the phone with unsure, fumbling fingers and answered quickly, albeit a bit breathlessly.

"Hello?"

_"Utau. Hello."_"Stepfather." She replied curtly.

_"I have some terrible news for you my dear."_. Oh how she longed to say that. "Yes, Stepfather?"

Don't call me 'dear'

_"I'll cut to the point then. Ikuto is going to be killed, and you'll have to deal, I'm afraid. So sorry."_He hung up after that.

Utau was utterly speechless. She blinked several times, the phone landing with a clutter on the hardwood floor, the cord untangling from her slender fingers.

Had she just heard that evil, evil man right? He was going to kill Ikuto? Kill? _Kill? _Kill her most beloved and dear person? It was impossible. She knew the man would love nothing more than to torture him, perhaps by killing the new girl, but...this was...out of line.

Before she could stop them, a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Frowning at herself for being so weak, she wiped them away and closed her eyes tightly, breathing in and out slowly.

She felt lightheaded as she fell backwards on the couch, her mouth slightly open, her expression a pained one.

"Ikuto...Ikuto..." Her lip trembled.

This was impossibly impossible and improbable, and there was absolutely _no way_ this could be even close to true.

She curled up on her side, staring blankly at the wall.

"Please come back alive...don't leave me alone, Ikuto..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Amu most certainly did not remember moving to the bed. She blinked blearily, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, her notebook tucked under her arm. She could have sworn that just a second ago she was lying on the floor and writing, but now she was in bed, clinging to her precious notebook.

"Awake?"

She sighed and answered without turning to him. "This is the most I've slept in a while."

He seemed amused. "So it would seem. I hope you don't sleep this much on a daily basis."

"Definitely not." She snapped, and slipped out of the covers of the bed temporarily to place her notebook atop her bag. Then she leaned back up and lay comfortable under the covers, since it was warm there.

"You're welcome."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, thanks."

He chuckled a little, smirking at her over the back of the chair on which he sat. He rested his chin on the back of the chair, his legs spread out on either side of it, his arms hung on either side of the chair.

"So..." He began.

"So...?"

She wasn't looking, but she could almost hear him roll his eyes. "Have you decided...on whether you mean what you said yet, or not?"

She stiffened immediately, a light blush coloring her cheeks. She bit her lip and turned her head in the opposite direction, trying to focus on breathing evenly.

"Amu..."

"I-know-you-want-to-know." She said very quickly in one breath. "B-but I...I just..."

She didn't need to see that intense look in his eyes to know how he was staring at her.

"I just—don't make fun of me for saying this, okay?--am afraid of what your reaction will be...and I can't predict it because I don't understand anything about you." Oh why oh why did he have to bring this up?

She heard him getting up and walking towards the bed. "Look at me." He commanded.

She slowly complied, and saw that his face was more serious than she had ever seen it.

"Don't worry about my reaction." He said softly. "I won't react in a way that would make you uncomfortable. I promise."

Amu bit her lip again, feeling tense. "O-okay...I...um..."

He didn't answer, staring deep into her eyes as she fumbled for the right words to use.

"Feeling the strangest burst of courage, she blurted out, "I've fallen for a perverted idiot, and he's looking at me right now!" After she said it though, her whole face turned red and she immediately hid her face behind her hands, feeling completely idiotic.

She felt his hands trying to pry her hands from her face. She gave in to him, staring at him in total embarassment, preparing to hear him laugh at her choice of words or tease her again. He did neither.

He stared at her intently, indigo eyes burning into gold. Her lips parted as she prepared to speak again, but he put one finger against her lips, causing her to flush darker.

"You think," He said quietly, "that I might make fun of you for something like that?"

"Y-yes?"

"Wrong." He said, before leaning down to press his lips very briefly and gently to hers. Her eyes widened and he pulled away, his smirk back in place. "If you think I'm making fun of you, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

"H-hey! I'm no idiot! And what does that mean? Does that mean...?"

"Did you even consider the possibility that I might have fallen for you too?"

She swallowed hard and turned away with a pout. "Of course not. I already told you why."

He slid onto the bed and lay alongside her, stroking her hair without saying anything else.

She exhaled shakily. Talk about surprising. Of all the things to happen, she had confessed, and he...loved her back? This felt too dreamlike to be real. Just yesterday she would have never even entertained the thought.

Eyes wide, she stared out the window opposite the bed. It was cold, gray, and gloomy outside, but was not raining.

"I-Ikuto?"

"Hm?"

"What do we do now?" She asked, in a quiet whisper. She heard him sigh, and felt him sit up. He pulled her up as well, looking her into the eyes.

"Firstly, we need to leave. I have a feeling they're on to us."

"And..?"

"And then...I tell you. Everything."

She blinked in surprise. "Everything?"

He ran one hand through his hair. "You deserve to know now."

She nodded slowly, then jumped off the bed and went to pack what little belongings she owned. Just as she was about to change, she turned to Ikuto, noticing he was still there.

"Um..."

"What?"

"Um...I need to...change."

"Go ahead." He didn't move.

"B-but..."

He rolled his eyes. "I can't leave this room or they may use the opportunity to break in. They're that close." He said, narrowing his eyes. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll turn away."

"But, you're a pervert!" She exclaimed in surprise, watching as he turning his back on her.

"Of course I am, as soon as you turn around I'll turn around and watch you." He said sarcastically, but this made Amu take a step back. Ikuto didn't see this, however. "Of course I won't look. I might be 'perverted' but you can trust me."

Still wary, Amu changed quickly, blushing all the while. She glanced back to make sure he wasn't looking. Much to her surprise, he never did, not even once.

"A-alright. Let's go."

He turned around and nodded. "Right."

She slipped her backpack on and he casually put an arm around her waist and left the room, walking quickly. He paid the woman at the front desk who wished them a nice day. As soon as they were outside, Ikuto lifted her up again and started to run. He was just as fast as he had been last night. Was this guy human?

Amu didn't speak as he ran. However, at one point she could tell he was tiring, even though he hid it so well.

It was around this time that he stopped running. Amu noticed they were at a bus stop.

"We're riding the bus from here?"

"Yeah." His voice was tired and breathless.

Worried, she stood on tiptoes to get a better look at his face. He did look pretty tired.

"Are you okay?"

He smiled a half-smile, but it was quickly gone. "Just tired." He muttered.

She furrowed her eyebrows in worry and touched his cheek with gentle fingers. "Ikuto?"

He looked at her, an unfathomable expression in those dark eyes of his. Then, he shook his head. "Come, let's go."

Amu gave a start as she saw the bus was just pulling up. Feeling like an idiot, she took Ikuto's hand without looking at him and walked on the bus. Ikuto paused briefly to pay the fare, then dragged her through the crowded isles and found them a seat together. As soon as they sat down, he rested his head on her much smaller shoulder, making the girl flush lightly and look at the handsome older man in surprise.

"I'm tired. Cut me some slack." He muttered, and said nothing more after that. She didn't have the heart to move him, so she gently stroked his soft, dark hair as she watched him sleep, not feeling remotely tired herself.

About half an hour passed and Ikuto still hadn't woken up yet, so she took the time to stare out the window, watching the scenery fly past, and wondering where they were, and whether the people that were after them were on to them yet like Ikuto seemed to think they were. She bit her lip, feeling worried. They were seriously in a dangerous situation, here. A really, really bad situation.

He hadn't told her yet just what kind of situation they were in, but it wasn't a very good one. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out. These people were probably a lot more dangerous that Ikuto was letting on right now. It bugged the hell out of her, but she understood he was tired and she decided to be lenient and pry answers out of him when he was more awake.

She sighed quietly. To think, falling for a thieving pervert in the middle of what was most certainly a battleground. They wouldn't be able to escape for long, and it was clear that these people would not hesitate to kill or torture or kidnap.

Ah, what a terrible, tangled mess.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Okay, how was it? Did I make them fall in love too fast? I need them to be in love already for future parts, but...um...was it too fast? I look back on this now and I wonder...and worry.

And there was hardly any action besides Amuto action, I need to stop doing that and make Nikaido and the others get a move on already. I'm being super slow in that area. Ehehe.

I also realize that Tadase and Nagihiko seem unimportant. They're both important, they just don't have huge roles...yet.

Well, please review! Let me know if it really was as horrible as I'm afraid it might be... (Because for one thing, romance is so not my forte!)


	9. Desperate Prayer

I'm back from my trip! X3

So now I'm writing. I'm loving all the feedback I'm getting here, really and truly. I've always thought of myself as a crappy romance writer, but now this is so popular! Heheh.

Well, please read on and hope you enjoy. ;3

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Stolen**

_Part Nine:_

Desperate Prayer

* * *

_**Offer a prayer with those trembling hands  
**_

_**The thing that you want  
**_

_**It's like a doll without a purpose, isn't it?  
**_

_**Not even shedding tears...**_

_**-Black Diamond by Nana Mizuki**_

* * *

Ikuto was still fast asleep, and because he seemed so at ease, Amu didn't have the heart to wake him. Instead, she idly played with his soft, dark hair as she gazed out the window, watching the scenery go by as the bus crawled along at a steady pace. No one was paying attention to anyone but themselves here; some people, like Ikuto, were fast asleep, and others were simply talking quietly to the person next to them or not speaking at all or glancing out the bus window.

It was strange, but it was peaceful here. No matter how temporary the peace was, it was still peace that had taken on a form real enough to touch.

She leaned back against the hard, leather seat with mild contentment, careful not to disturb Ikuto's sleep as she shifted. Amu wasn't even remotely tired, she just felt calm and content right now. Even though she knew full well that this was just the eye of the storm, she figured it would be best to treasure this calmness, no matter how brief it may or may not be. _You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. _She thought, mildly amused at how well that saying applied to the situation.

The bus seemed to have hit a pothole, because everyone was lifted out of their seats for at least a second before landing back down with 'thump!'s and complaints coming from nearly every passenger.

Amu winced, tempted to rub her behind. This is why she wasn't fond of cheap little buses like these. Hell, she really never rode on them. She preffered walking or getting a ride from an acquaintance who had a car anytime.

However, this jolt also awoke poor Ikuto, who sat up blinking dazedly, his face slack.

Amu took this time to rub her sore shoulder when he wasn't looking. His head was solid as a bowling ball, but thankfully not nearly as heavy.

"'Morning, Sunshine." She teased with a small smile as Ikuto seemed to register where he was as he became more awake.

"Yeah." He said offhandedly, then yawned and leaned back casually against the uncomfortable seat.

"You weren't asleep for long. Do you want to sleep again?" She figured her shoulder could take a little more.

"Nah." He shook his head. "I think it's best I stay awake from now on...just in case. I'll get rest later if there's time."

She shrugged. His choice. "So," She lowered her voice, glancing quickly around the bus, "they're after us? For certain?"

He closed his eyes and nodded, responding in an equally low voice. "I know the people who are after me. I know exactly who will be sent and what their patterns are. Unfortunately, they know my patterns too, so I have to change things up a bit. Do things I don't normally do."

"Such as...?"

"Go places that don't really suit my personality." He said indifferently.

"Ah." She shifted in her seat, not so sure what else to say.

"Amu..."

"Yeah?" She was surprised at the serious expression on his face and the dark tone of his voice.

"I'll tell you...everything. As soon as we find somewhere else to stop."

She nodded, wide-eyed and said nothing. He really did plan to tell her. That would be difficult for him.

The rest of the bus ride was silent; Amu stared out the window and Ikuto stared straight in front of him, a bored expression on his face.

Amu almost jumped when the bus finally came to a stop, snapping her out of her daydreaming and story plotting. Ikuto stood and stretched as Amu leaped up, clinging to his elbow as they stepped out of the vehicle.

He raised an eyebrow at the action but then shrugged indifferently and made no comment.

"Now what?" She asked.

He sighed heavily, his indigo eyes deep in thought. "We need to stay somewhere again. I'm not sure if they'll find us here or not, but we will see."

"Ah." She dropped her hand from his elbow, rubbing her forearms to warm herself up.

Ikuto casually wrapped an arm around her waist and half carried her down the sidewalk, despite how she protested and blushed. He only grinned in amusement, holding her closer to him and intentionally breathing in her ear, causing her to blush and complain even more.

It wasn't long until they reached a small and rather worn-down looking motel. Amu scrutinized the cracked neon sign that was falling down, the cement steps that were so chipped and eroded you could hardly tell they were steps, and how the whole building simply had a rather _ominous_ aura. She shivered slightly. Yes, she liked horror stories, and no, she did not like being _in_ them.

Ikuto did not fail to notice her little shiver. "Scared?" He asked playfully, drawing her closer.

"No, not at all. O-of course not." She humphed and pouted, turning as far away from him as she could since he was practically carrying her.

He only laughed to himself and shook his head as they entered, and Amu had to resist the urge to cover her nose; the place smelled utterly rotten. The floorboards were caked with dirt and the ceiling gave one the unfortunate feeling that it might fall down on your head at any given moment.

She was so busy looking around the lobby room that she failed to notice that Ikuto had already paid the creepy old man at the front desk and was dragging her up the battered staircase.

"We'll only be staying a night, then we need to leave very early tomorrow morning. So it would be best to sleep after eating dinner."

Amu nodded, just letting herself be carried away by him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"A motel, huh?"

Nikaido suppressed a frustrated sigh. "So it would appear."

Sanjou just smirked back at him. "It's unlike him."

He had to attempt not to glare at the woman who had thought of each other as nothing more than rivals.

"I would have to guess that you're enjoying this frustrating little chase."

She pushed up her glasses and shrugged, her expression giving her away. "I'll certainly get props for getting the Tsukiyomi kid. Just because we're together on this does not mean we both get credit."

"Don't I know it." He muttered under his breath so the overconfident woman couldn't hear.

"What was that?" She arched an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing.

"It was nothing."

The two were stuck in a car that Director Hoshina had been _kind_ enough to lend them. He was sitting in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. He felt the odd urge to pick up smoking after being stuck here with that woman for even a few minutes.

Mikage and Touma (much to the distaste of the former) were sent to investigate this motel. They were just outside it in reality, having been able to move distances quickly thanks to the borrowed vehicle. Looks like the stepdad was going all out to find and get rid of his rebellious stepson. What a bother though.

Sanjou fell silent after their brief conversation and had taken to glaring out the window, most likely plotting something that would score her points with the director.

After a moment, however, Mikage and Touma soon returned and Mikage slid in the backseat with Touma. The two looked a little windblown but satisfied.

Mikage took a deep breath before replying. "There in that motel. I'm certain. I persuaded the man at the front desk and he told me all I need to know. It would appear that they're only staying for one night...I wonder what his next move will be."

Nikaido sighed and rubbed his temples. "We've just about got him. We'll have him and her by tomorrow morning. Then we can end this hunt and move on with our lives."

Mikage nodded, Touma said nothing, and Sanjou just shrugged indifferently.

"Right," he muttered so none of the others could hear, "the sooner we get this over with, the better."

With that, they stared out the window, four pairs of eyes focused intently on the small, rotting motel.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Amu chewed on the end of her fork as her eyes flicked around the room, not focusing on anything in particular. More or less, she was trying to avoid looking at Ikuto, who was sitting across from her.

The two were eating in silence; the only sound was the wind against the windows and the creaking of the old, worn building.

She played with her food, poking at the remainder of the chicken on her plate. She no longer had the stomach to eat anything else.

After eating, he was going to tell her. Everything, he claimed. A part of her thirsted for the truth, but another part was afraid at hearing what his life had been like, and what it was like now. She would also learn just how serious the situation they were in was, as well as what could happen to them. Amu had figured at worst, torture or death. She hoped the people after them were not so readily willing to resort to such extremes, but then again, she didn't know them like Ikuto did.

"Well..."

He spoke, causing her to jump slightly at the sound of his voice after the long silence.

She looked up at him, her eyes worried and anxious. She normally couldn't read his eyes either, but he looked...nervous?

He stood from the small table and she stood as well, so suddenly that she banged her knee on the table. Cursing and wincing and rubbing the sore spot, she glared at him, expecting him to laugh like usual, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. He looked tense, distant, uncomfortable. She was amazed she could see so much in his eyes when she usually saw nothing or very little.

He walked toward the bed and sat down on it, staring at the floor. Feeling very small, she sat down next to him, bringing her knees up to her chest and worriedly glancing at him.

He took a deep breath, then looked at her. His eyes were very, very serious.

He lay down on the bed, facing the window, so she lay down with her back facing the window, her eyes searching his.

"My father...left. He left my sister and I with my mother, who was heartbroken and mentally broken beyond repair. I hardly remember him, but I only remember he was a well-known violin player. He just up and disappeared one day and never told anyone, not even my mother. After he was gone, she was incapable of raising us on her own anymore, and had no choice but to remarry. Thus, she married a man by the name of Kazuomi Hoshina, today a man who is my stepfather."

Amu listened silently, watching his eyes still as he continued.

"My real father apparently took a great deal of money from my stepfather's company. It would seem that they knew one another, and that my stepfather was opposed to him marrying my mother. After he left, though, my stepfather expected the money to be paid back in full. My mother was in no condition to work, so the duty of repaying him was left to me and my little sister. So, I became a thief for the sake of repaying the money my father took after he left us."

His eyes seemed almost sad now. Amu hesitantly reached out a hand to touch his cheek, wishing she could make talking about this easier for him.

"I worked for a few years at that job, and I was...good at it. I never got caught or even close. I always dodged the police or any authority who tried to tie me down. It was because I didn't want to be tied down any more than I already was, like how I was bound to work for my stepfather until I died. But after a while, I learned more behind the mystery of the money I was trying to earn back, for the sake of my insane with depression mother and my younger sister, who was always willing to do anything for me. I found that my father was once a thief too, and that he had worked for my stepfather. After a while though, he stopped. He took up the violin instead, leaving my stepfather to be bitter about losing such an important source of income."

Ikuto scoffed at this, his eyes narrowing a little. Amu stroked his cheek now, worried about the sudden hostility on his face.

"He was even more angry when he learned that Aruto Tsukiyomi, the violin player, married Souko, a woman he had his eye on for quite some time. He was furious, but he couldn't touch our family. Not for a while, anyway. Then the two gave birth to two children. Myself, and my sister. When my sister and I were both still too young to really remember what he even looked like, he up and left, taking a large portion of money from his thieving days with him.

"After I learned this, I stopped stealing for a while. One day, I was on the run from the police during this time, until I spotted a girl walking home, alone at night. I wondered what she was doing, so I followed her. She seemed to be aware I was following her, but she never saw me." Amu gasped, knowing it was her he was talking about.

"I cornered her in an alley, only to find out that she was that much talked about prodigy author, Amu Hinamori." His expression was calm, almost peaceful. "You interested me. I was never around many girls because of my 'career' but you were the most unique out of any of them. So I let you go after a while. It bothered me that I was even a little interested in you, and I didn't like having another weakness for my stepfather to get at me through.

"But I found myself drawn to you. I visited you. I learned you were writing about me, and I wasn't sure what to think about that. But when I found you passed out on your own front doorstep when I was about to visit you, I didn't really feel good about just leaving you there, so I brought you to my house. I was more or less amused by your reactions whenever I teased you. But, one night, your fever got horrible. I'm not sure if you remember or not, but...I brought you to my bed because you had gotten sicker. I had been thinking about many things that night, so my expression was an unhappy one. Even though you were so feverish you could hardly think, you noticed this, and asked me why before passing out."

Amu blinked in shock, somewhat vaguely remembered being carried to his bed...but her memories of that night were fuzzy at best.

"And that was what made up my mind. I was playing a dangerous game, resisting my stepfather. And I was about to do something that would drive him up the wall." He paused to smirk a little, but it soon faded. "I decided to kidnap you, 'steal' you and take you away from them and tell you everything. They figured me out though, and cornered me and threatened me. However, my sister called me, telling me that my stepfather knew much more than his workers were letting on. I then had to put my plans into action sooner, or else they would have killed or captured you. I had no choice but to take you away. And they're after us still. I know my stepfather wants me dead, and that's exactly what he'll do when he finds me."

He smiled a bitter smile.

"So that is everything. I promised, so I told you. However, what was not a part of my plans," He paused, to hug her to him and bury his face in her hair, "was falling in love with you and you loving me back. That was all."

Amu was wide eyed, her heart racing as she tried to process everything he had told her. It was just insane. All of this had happened?

"So...your sister..."

He sighed. "She'll be safe. She knows how to take care of herself."

Amu frowned briefly to herself, wondering why he sounded so uncomfortable at the mention of his younger sister.

"What's her name?"

"Her name is Utau, but she goes by my stepfather's last name upon his request, so her name is Utau Hoshina."

Amu gasped in shock. "The singer? No way. That's amazing. So she's your sister?"

He didn't answer her, leaving her to sit in shock, still thinking about everything he told her. It was so much information, it was difficult to swallow. A part of her wanted to comfort him, but another part of her wanted to be comforted herself because there was the possibility that he could die. She tightly returned the embrace, not wanting to let that happen. Perhaps she was just a stupid young girl that happened to be caught up in this, but she would to anything she could to prevent him from dying.

"Let's sleep." He said, pulling the covers over the two of them. Amu snuggled comfortably up close to him, not feeling quite tired just yet.

She tightly closed her eyes, praying, wishing as hard as she could that she and Ikuto would make it through everything. That they would be able to live happily together and that somehow, just somehow, they would be able to pull through, stop the people chasing them, and just _live._

_I know I hardly pray,_ she thought, _but this is the one and only thing I want. Just let him live, please don't let them catch us._

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I know this chapter wasn't as long as the others, but that's because of all the information that's in this chapter. Yeah, what Ikuto told her was pretty much everything you already knew, but Amu didn't, so that's why this chapter was important.

Chapter 10 will be up next week! I feel like I know exactly how I'm gonna end this. I'm not so sure on numbers, but maybe it will be 15-20 chapters, probably less than 20 though. Maybe somewhere in between.

And Nagihiko may appear again in the next chapter! As well as his girlfriend, Rima. ;P Well, it's either the next chapter or the one after, but it's soon.

Well? Like it? Hate it? Please let me know! Review!


	10. Adventurous Escapade

Well, here goes another chapter.

I'm feeling almost relieve knowing that this story will end in about six weeks or so. X3 I've got so many other great ideas for other Amuto fanfics but I won't start any of them until this reaches completion. I hope you'll read those though, when this ends someday. ;3

And one more thing: EPISODE 65 WAS SUCH WIN OMFG.

Now that's said and done...

On with the chapter!

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**Stolen**

_Part Ten:_

Adventurous Escapade

* * *

_**Love only hurts me always...or so you whispered  
**_

_**You were scared of believing and cried, didn't you?  
**_

_**Learn your weaknesses and become strong, by believing without fear  
**_

_**You'll learn of true love, before it turns into hatred, right? **_

_**-Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi by UVERworld**_

* * *

Nikaido folded his arms across his chest, lit cigarette in mouth, eyes unmoving from the motel. (Hell, so he decided to smoke again. It wasn't like he was able to quit for long anyway.) It was just about time, and God damn him to hell if he didn't catch the two of them right now. They were right in front of his eyes. Besides, a little murder and crime before breakfast never bothered his appetite anyway.

He flicked the ashes out the window and stuff the rest of the cigarette into the ashtray in the car. He folded his hands over his stomach, paying no attention to his three comrades, who were most likely just as fidgety and anxious to get this over with as he was. (Or perhaps not. Mikage, maybe, but Touma wanted torture and Sanjou wanted credit.)

All the same, things were tense, and it was a quarter until five. Most people wouldn't be so awake at such an early hour, but not these four. As soon as the runaway Romeo and his Juliet awoke from their slumber, they could either die together, or just kill the boy and take the girl. Hoshina figured he could use her. So, he'd _preferred _to have her living so he could work her like he did with the Tsukiyomi siblings.

Mikage's voice was barely even a whisper, but Nikaido still heard. "It's nearly time." He glanced briefly back at her in the mirror, but her face was lowered and he couldn't read his expression.

He drummed his fingers on the dashboard impatiently, glancing at his watch every few minutes out of agitation.

When the clock struck exactly five...yes, exactly five.

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Amu blinked, suddenly conscious. Ikuto was obviously still asleep; his breathing was steady and his arms were still loosely around her. She felt refreshed, and had a strong sense of purpose after the conversation last night. Some sleep on top of that, and Amu felt ready for battle.

The people were close. But just _how _close is close? If Ikuto knew, he didn't divulge. She was sure there were at least three of them, maybe more. It was a wonder people like that had evaded the police. Then again, Ikuto himself was an escape artist, so she wouldn't put it past them to be just as talented, if not more so than the thief himself.

Ikuto was sleeping so peacefully, Amu seriously did not want to wake him up. He needed the sleep, but Ikuto had told her that they needed to be prepared by at least a quarter past five. No later, he had thought, or else they would catch them.

Sighing, she reluctantly scooted out of his warm embrace, wincing at the cold air on her skin. Oh, the cold. Her dear, good old friend. She had no time to warm up or for anything else at the moment, however.

She scooted over to Ikuto on the bed, and shook him gently in an attempt to wake him. "Ikuto...Ikuto..." She sighed, he didn't budge. He was a heavier sleeper than she had realized. On top of it, he was probably exhausted. She poked him, shook him again, pulled his hair and pinched his cheeks and he still didn't wake up. Suddenly feeling brave, she leaned down to kiss him but because of the angle she was at on the bed, she fell forward and wound up kissing his neck. Blushing darkly, she quickly sat up straight just as he was waking up.

He groaned as he awoke, blinking sleepily as he slowly sat up, looking around as he registered his surroundings.

Then he turned to Amu, who was sitting rigidly on the bed while blushing. He grinned at her, though it looked a little sleepy.

"I had no idea you were so...aggressive."

Amu gasped, shaking her head violently. "No no no no no no! It definitely wasn't like that!"

He raised an eyebrow, seeming more awake now as he scooted closer to her. "You call kissing my neck not aggressive?" He smirked as she flushed even darker, "If I didn't know better I'd say you were putting moves on me."

She whined a little as he pressed closer to her; her eyes darted around, looking for an escape or a savior, but finding neither.

He shook his head as he pulled away. "Oh well. There will be time for that later. Time..." his eyes narrowed. "What time is it?"

Amu blinked, blush fading as she scrambled up to go and look at the clock on the far wall. Not long after, she returned and answered his question. "Um...about 4:50."

"Get ready to go. We've wasted too much time already."

She nodded quickly, not asking any questions. That urgent tone of his and the dark and serious look in his eyes told her that they were going to be in big trouble if they waited any longer. She hadn't unpacked much, but what she did she quickly threw into her backpack and pulled her hair up into a loose braid and slid on her coat, then put her backpack on and went back to where Ikuto was waiting. He too was ready, and he stood looking out the window, the curtains no longer drawn.

It was dark; the sun hadn't even risen yet. It was about to, though, or so the faint traces of light on the horizon hinted. Dark, grayish clouds concealed most of the moon behind an opaque, smoky veil and blocked most of it's silvery light. Some stars were visible, scattered about the navy sky. Others were also hidden by the wicked looking storm clouds. Amu grimaced a little as she thought about what those clouds meant.

_Rain. Which means cold. Yuck._

Ikuto seemed to have noticed her presence now, and extended his hand to her, like he had so many times before. Without a word, without questioning him, she took his hand, not even thinking twice as he opened the window, pulling her out on the rusty balcony that was most definitely not meant for many people to stand on, as it was rusty and worn. The two of them had their backs pressed to the cracking brick wall, and were pressed side by side. There wasn't even room to turn around.

She then wondered. _Since when have I become so trusting?_ But she was barely able to finish thinking the question before Ikuto jumped clear off the balcony, landing conveniently in a pile of old mattresses in a nearby trash pile. Amu had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming aloud. After landing, he set her down, and she winced as she slid her tongue over where she had bitten her cheek and tasted blood.

Ikuto didn't give her much of a chance to think, for he seized her hand again and began walking quickly around the motel. She had no idea where he was going, nor what his intentions were, but she still followed. (Or rather, was dragged into a pace that she could barely keep up with. His legs were much longer than hers.)

When he suddenly stopped, she almost ran into him. She looked up at him to complain, but stopped when she saw the shocked, frozen look on his face. An expression that basically said, 'Shit.'

She followed his gaze, noticing it was fixed on a sleek, black car with darkly tinted windows. Though the vehicle was sleek, it had scratches and dents in numerous places, making it look old and unused. However, it was most certainly not unused, for a door opened then closed with a slam, and a man wearing a dark tan overcoat with messy, dirty blond hair stepped out smoking a cigarette. His eyes were narrowed in distaste as he stepped forward. Ikuto's expression of shock soon changed to one that mirrored the man's.

"Ikuto. Wonderful to see you again." His voice was so cold and sarcastic.

Ikuto said nothing, but pushed Amu behind him a little, his icy glare unfaltering.

The man raised an eyebrow, smirking a little in such a way that it chilled her bones to the core. Everything about him was cold and heartless and sarcastic. She bit her lip, wondering how they might get out of this situations, trying desperately to recall any stories in which the hero and heroine got out safely of a situation like this and how they might have done it. However, her mind was so in shock that nothing came to mind. She couldn't even remember ever writing a word.

He approached them, but stopped at least ten feet away. "Just come with us, Tsukiyomi kid. And nothing will happen to the little writer."

"Nikaido." Ikuto spat the word that must have been the man's name, for he raised both eyebrows at this.

The man called Nikaido took a few more steps forward. There was so much tension in the air that it felt static. Amu felt butterflies in her stomach like never before, her pulse racing, a thousand useless thoughts running through her head.

More people exited the car, three more. Two women and a massive man who resembled a monster from a horror story, with his hulking frame and overlong dark hair. One woman looked cold and calculating as she held a handgun on one hand, pushing her glinting glasses up her nose with the other. The other woman looked expressionless and cold, her eyes gazing on the scene with total apathy as she fiddled with the hilt of the knife on her belt.

All four began to advance on them. It all happened quickly after that. The woman with glasses shot at them, but Ikuto grabbed her and dashed out of the way, narrowly missing it as it left a cut on the side of his neck. The larger man dashed forward, swinging his fists and Ikuto barely managed to dodge, keeping Amu a safe distance behind him all the while. The smaller woman surveyed the scene with the same apathy, still fingering the knife but made no move to use it. Nikaido simply watched, his eyes still heartless, eyebrows still raised, still smirking sarcastically.

Ikuto quickly shoved Amu away as the large man came at him again. The woman appeared to be having problems with the handgun; she appeared to be trying to reload it.

"Go." He hissed to her as he delivered a kick to the man's stomach that appeared to have zero effect on him. Too stunned to move, Amu could only watch on in horror, not noticing that the smaller woman had moved from her position, her knife out and catching the light of the now visible moon. Just as she was about to strike the unsuspecting writer from behind, someone drove by, into the motel. The group froze, but the car simply drove by. Using this as a distraction, Ikuto grabbed Amu into his arms and ran as fast as he had previously, if not faster. She heard gunshots and prayed that none of them landed.

Amu couldn't tell how much time passed as he stopped suddenly, breathing heavily and obviously worn out. Worried, she slipped out of his arms and awkwardly entwined her fingers with his, trying to meet his gaze. He looked at her, and his expression was heartbreaking. He looked so...sad.

He wrapped her in his arms and held her so her face was buried in his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, how fast it was from running. His breathing was heavy and his body was warm. She hugged him back as tightly as she could as he moved one hand to stroke her hair. She didn't speak, waiting for him to say anything if he was intending to.

Slowly, after what seemed like such a long time, he released her and his expression was back to serious. "I need to find somewhere else for us to go. Somewhere they'd never guess we'd be."

Amu furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if such a place existed. "Where might that be?"

Ikuto sighed, covering his eyes with one hand. "The problem is...I'm not sure."

Amu bit her lip, deep in thought as Ikuto stood there, unmoving. She took the time now to glance at their surroundings. They were, to put it bluntly, in the middle of nowhere. Apparently that motel they had been at was at the edge of civilization, and now there was nothingness. The paving on the road was cracked and eroded, and small plants sprouted up in between. The wind here was dry and bone-chillingly icy; it was so cold it soaked through any kind of protection against the warmth with ease. Just behind them, there was an abandoned gas station. The windows were broken and the shattered pieces of glass lay inside the building. The pumps were old and broken, and some were even missing.

She scanned to the other side of the road, where a small forest was located. Dead bushes guarded the entrance just where the pavement ended, like skeletal beings of another world. The wind rustle the few remaining leaves on the just about as dead trees, causing a few of what remained to flutter to the ground, atop a small pile that covered the tree's roots.

However, when she turned to the left, there it was—what would—or might—save them. Praying that it worked, she dashed over to it. The metal frame of the booth was bent in, and the door was hanging off it's hinges. The glass was completely gone, however no shards remained. The most important part, however, seemed to be intact. Cautiously, she stepped over the bent frame and entered the small booth, running her hands over the worn receiver of the payphone.

_A phone booth! This is Godsent. It must be._

Amu couldn't help but smile. This really and truly was great. She could feel Ikuto's eyes on her, but decided to say nothing until she found out whether the old thing worked or not. Fumbling around in her pocket, she pulled out a small handful of change and slipped the correct amount into the dirt-encrusted slot.

With bated breath, she picked up the receiver, and listened. She giggled a little. A dial tone!

Thankful for her good memory, she dialed Tadase's number with precision. _Please answer, _she hoped silently. Luckily, he did.

"Hello?"

"T-Tadase!"

"Hi-I mean, Amu?"

"Yes, yes! Um, Tadase, I need...a big favor."

"Of course. What can I help you with?"

"A friend and I are in trouble, so...we need a place to stay. Do you know anywhere?"

"Um, one moment please, Amu." She heard him talking to someone else, before a rather familiar and friendly voice spoke next.

"Hello, Amu."

She gasped. "Nagihiko!"

She could almost hear his smile as he answered back. "I hear you need a place to stay."

"Y-yes!" She was clutching the receiver for dear life.

"If you'd like," He began, "you may stay with my girlfriend and I. We have plenty of room, and...you said you have a friend with you...?"

"Um...yes. But, my...friend is in a bit of trouble right now, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell the police."

"Of course we wouldn't."

"I'm so sorry for the trouble."

After Nagihiko ensured her it really was no problem, he gave her his address which she quickly scrawled on one of her notebooks. She thanked him multiple times before they both hung up, Amu promising to arrive and leave as quickly as they could.

Still smiling, she strode back over to where Ikuto was, where he was watching her curiously.

"I have a place for us to stay."

He looked shocked; his mouth even fell open a little. "Seriously?"

"Yep. It's a friend of mine, and he offered to let us stay at his house for as long as we needed. I don't want to get him in trouble, so I want to leave as quickly as possible..."

Ikuto nodded, his face serious once more. "I have an idea as to where we can go after that...anyway."

She nodded, smiling. "Right."

She gasped when he hugged her again, and was surprised to find that he was chuckling. She blinked, pulling away so she could see his expression, but he wasn't letting her. He kissed her before she could see the look on his face; kissed her lips, forehead, cheeks, nose, both corners of her mouth, then her lips again, for longer this time. He then pulled away, and she saw that he was grinning. Amu knew she was blushing.

He playfully tousled her hair, causing her to yelp in complaint, but he only snorted at her. "Well, let me see the address, we had best get going."

She frowned. "But you seemed so tired..."

"I'll rest when we get there." He glanced at her handwritten directions, then nodded to himself. "It's not too far from here, but far enough that we should be able to lose them." He glanced over his shoulder to emphasize his point.

Then he scooped her up in his arms again, holding her to his chest and took off. She thought she heard him say something, but it could have been her imagination; after all, they were running so fast that she could hardly hear anything much around them. Yes, it definitely must have been her imagination. There's no way he would have said that.

_"I'm sorry, Amu...for what I'll do to you...I'm sorry."_

Of course. Definitely the wind.

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This chapter was absolutely crucial to the plot. Mostly because of what Amu 'thought' she heard Ikuto say. You'll see what I mean in later chapters.

And, Nagihiko's voice makes an appearance! Sorry, couldn't fit the guy himself in here. He and Rima _will_ be in the next chapter, I swear it.

Pleeease review! -whines-


	11. Night's Dawn and Farewell Embraces

Hey, another chapter everyone!

Guess what? I'm getting the Shugo Chara artbook and the 2009 calender! All for a grand total of $61.39. XD I actually think it's worth it though.

Also, I was intending to make the next chapter or so a songfic. You'll see which song it is because when you read the chapter I will tell you. ;P It's not this chapter though.

Okay, anyway. Enough with my nonsense, read on and enjoy!

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**Stolen**

_Part Eleven:_

Night's Dawn and Farewell Embraces

_**

* * *

I was having a transparent dream  
**_

_**It was a tender eternity  
**_

_**The faint, wind-like voice  
**_

_**Is calling me from the high sky...**_

_**-Megumeru ~Cuckool Mix 2007~**__** by Eufonius

* * *

**_

Amu blinked sleepily as she heard someone talking. When had she fallen asleep? Yawning she sat up, aware that the talking had stopped as soon as she awoke. Rubbing her eyes, she stared blearily as the events of the previous night came over her.

She gasped, eyes wide, awake immediately.

"Amu, are you alright?" Nagihiko's concerned voice came from her right. She turned to him. He stood next to her, worry on his face. His lovely, flowing hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and he was wearing a white button-up shirt with blue jeans. He looked like a movie star or something.

She giggled a little, and Nagihiko smiled a little, seemingly relieved. "So how are you feeling?"

"Fine." She said, stretching. "A little groggy though. I'm so sorry to intrude like this, by the way, I hardly know you."

"Oh, not at all. I don't mind helping others in need."

Amu glanced around the simple, tidy home. "Where is your girlfriend now...?"

"Ah, Rima. She's out right now. I'm certain she'll be home soon." He said smoothly.

Amu's eyes widened as she looked around again. "Wh-where is the friend I came with?"

Nagihiko smiled politely again. "Mr. Tsukiyomi is showering, at the present. And I would like to add, you never informed Hotori of this, did you? I doubt he would approve of you being with a thief as wanted as him."

Amu cast her gaze downward. Now, this was what she had been afraid of. Afraid of how they would feel about Ikuto having 'stolen' her and ran away for their safety, else they would both be killed. It wasn't something she felt like she could tell Nagihiko; Amu didn't like the idea of worrying him.

"Amu...?" Nagihiko gently shook her shoulder. "It's all right if you don't want to talk about it now. But I think you might feel better if you told someone." He sighed, running a hand through his bangs as he stood up completely. "In the meantime, would you like some food?"

Amu got up off the couch she had been asleep on and nodded eagerly. "That sounds wonderful."

Nagihiko chuckled in amusement as he went to the kitchen, presumably to make food. "You can wait there, I'll make something."

Taking heed of his request, she sat down on the couch she had just been sleeping on, and gazed around the home. It was spacious, and very clean and almost new looking. The carper was a lovely shade of darker beige, and the walls were white. The home was two-stories, and the small staircase that lead to the upstairs was made of polished hardwood. Near the doorway that led to the kitchen, there was a small piano, with music sheets arranged atop it's shiny cover. Diagonally from the piano was a small dining table, with four chairs. Pictures lined the walls; most were paintings, but there was one of Nagihiko and a smaller young woman with wavy, golden hair and honey colored eyes. Amu assumed this was his girlfriend, Rima.

Sighing, she leaned back against the couch, and noticed a clock on the wall by it. According to the clock, it was about 2 in the afternoon.

Amu sat contentedly, a song she was unfamiliar with playing over and over again in her head, as she listened to the sounds of Nagihiko's cooking. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the clock ticking and birds chirping faintly from outside.

Her daydreaming was interrupted when she noticed that someone was in front of her. Blinking, she sat up and saw that it was Ikuto, an unfamiliar expression on his face and a towel around his shoulders. Ah, he was shirtless. Did that mean...she felt her gaze traveling downward but quickly caught herself. Ah well, he was still wearing pants. But did he have to go around in someone else's home shirtless?

"Go put a shirt on." She mumbled, turning away.

He smirked, raising an eyebrow, previous expression gone. Amu wondered if she had even seen that expression at all. "Aw, but you know you like seeing it _off_, Amu."

She gasped and choked on her own breath in surprise. "The hell? I do not!" She said quietly but angrily. "Now go before Nagihiko catches you doing this! It's weird!"

He rolled his eyes. "Right, weird. Fine, I'll go get a shirt." And he sauntered off. Amu shook her head in disbelief, silently willing her blush to disappear just as Nagihiko exited the kitchen, carrying a full plate of steaming food with him. She felt her stomach grumble at the sight, encounter with her shirtless—um, Ikuto—(Her what? What was she thinking?) all but forgotten.

Nagihiko seemed amused as he watched her eagerly dig into the food, devouring it even quicker than she would have thought possible. He was one great cook; this Rima must be a very lucky girl.

After finishing her food, Nagihiko took the plate and returned to the kitchen. Full and content, Amu leaned back against the couch until Nagihiko came back.

He scrutinized her for a moment before speaking up. "I should tell Hotori about this..."

Amu sat up in shock, eyes wide as she gazed at him worriedly. However, Nagihiko simply sighed and shook his head. "...But I won't. I should, but I won't. It's probably best you leave before Hotori decides to come over and visit. He wouldn't be please to find Mr. Tsukiyomi here. As you know, your...friend...is wanted by practically every police department. I'm amazed he hasn't been caught yet."

Amu, feeling ashamed again, stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, Nagihiko. But I just..! It's...rather complicated."

He sat down next to her, sighing. "I'm certain it is. And how long do you plan to stay, Amu?"

She bit her lip. "I think we'll leave by nightfall."

Nagihiko nodded, saying nothing. Not long after this exchanged, the front door opened to reveal the petite, pretty girl she had heard about. Rima, Nagihiko's girlfriend.

"Nagihiko, I'm back." He stood up, smiling to greet her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Welcome back."

"So our guests are here, right?" She had an almost childish sounding voice. Her honey colored eyes fixed on Amu as she said this.

"They are. The other one should be in the room we've provided." Rima nodded and headed up the stairs without another word, most likely to her and Nagihiko's bedroom.

With a sigh, Nagihiko turned to Amu. "Well, there's something I must help her with. I'm afraid there isn't much to do here, but...if you wish to write, your belongings are in the room down the hall to the left."

Amu nodded gratefully. "Thank you for everything you've done for us. Be sure to thank your girlfriend, as well."

After promising he would, Nagihiko headed up the stairs and disappeared from view, leaving Amu with only her thoughts for company once more. She frowned, realizing that it was taking Ikuto a rather long time to just change clothes. Even though she had no idea where Ikuto's room was, she decided to wander for a bit and find it.

Humming the song that was strangely now stuck in her head, she turned the corner and was met with three doors; two on the right, one on the left. She knew the one on the left was hers, so now which was Ikuto's...?

She opened the first one. It was a bathroom; complete with shower, toilet, and sink. Shower. Oh, how Amu wanted one. But not just yet.

She opened the second door just a crack. When she realized she couldn't see anything, she frowned, opening it wider. Seeing no one, she was just about to leave when she walked right into someone. This someone wrapped their arms around her waist, breathing in her ear. Amu sighed, knowing she had found him.

"Oi, Ikuto. You gonna let me go?" She looked up to see his expression, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers, firmly, still holding the back of her waist. She returned the kiss, curious about his unusal behavior. She didn't have time to think about it when the kiss changed, and he was kissing her in such a way that it made her legs feel like rubber.

Pulling away, he then picked her up and walked into his room, closing the door behind them and setting her down inside.. Yet again, he kissed her before she could speak or even get a good look at his face; one hand was holding the back of her neck, the other around her waist. He pulled away from her lips only to briefly kiss her neck before returning to her lips. She felt like the world was spinning. Never had she ever had physical contact like this before.

But what troubled her was that he was saying nothing.

When they broke apart, it took all of Amu's energy to push him away. Then she took his face between her hands before he could turn away, and stared deep into his eyes. What she saw there hurt.

His eyes were full of a deep, dark sadness. It was the worst expression she had ever seen on him, and it faintly remembered from one foggy memory that an expression similar to this was one he made while she was feverish.

"Ikuto, are you all right?"

He didn't speak, but knelt on the floor, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her stomach.

She stroked his hair, concerned and unsure. "Ikuto?"

"Amu..." His voice was muffled in her shirt.

She then crouched down to his level, staring him seriously in the eyes. "Is something the matter? You aren't acting like yourself."

He didn't answer her, but walked over to the bed, where he laid down. When she approached the bed only then did he speak.

"I'm tired. Stay here with me." He wasn't looking at her.

"A-alright." She lay down on the bed with him, surprised when he rested his head on her stomach and reached for one of her hands, holding it with his own. He didn't say anything more; his breathing became even and his eyes closed slowly.

Amu wasn't sure what to think of his actions. It was so unlike him. With her free hand, she stroked his hair again as she watched him sleep.

Was he thinking about his past? Worried about their sister? Their situation? If not that, then what? What was it that was troubling him to the point that he was no longer acting like himself?

Amu allowed her own eyes to slide shut, her mind full of worry for Ikuto and for their lives.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

He pounded on the desk. "You are full of shit, Nikaido. You let him escape."

Nikaido's sighed before he replied in his usual sarcastic tone of voice. "Sorry sir, we don't know where they went. It's completely not his style, so it's unpredictable."

Kazuomi was tempted to slam the phone down on the idiot's voice. He was tired of failures.

"Kill them both the second you see them, understand? And anyone they went to for help. Kill them all."

There was silence before Nikaido responded. "Yes, boss. Of course."

"You will not fail. If you fail again, it's _you_ I intend to have killed. Are we clear? My stepson must be dead, and soon."

"What about your stepdaughter?"

Kazuomi sighed, running a hand through his thinning, gray hair, his mean little eyes set in a glare. "If she becomes problematic, I'll have Sanjou deal with her. That will be enough."

"Right then. I've gotta go. We're searching for your stepkid now." He hung up after that.

The director hung up the phone, folding his hands underneath his chin as he gazed directly ahead of him. Ikuto would be gone. What was left of Aruto Tsukiyomi, gone. The debt they were in, all gone. And all it took was killing the last son of the Tsukiyomi's. His wife wouldn't care; she was too far gone to know anything except denying the fact that her previous husband had gone somewhere. Utau wouldn't be a problem; if she became one she could easily be dealt with.

Satisfied, he leaned back in his chair, and waited for his little game to play out.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Nikaido stood outside the car this time, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long, slow drag. He exhaled wearily. He was absolutely sick and tired of the chase, and wanted nothing more than to just laze about back home. Unfortunately, he was stuck with this worthless job and his boss had a stick—no, an enormous _log—_shoved up his ass and loved to cause problems for everyone else.

He drummed his fingers on the car as he stood, waiting for the others to return. They had all gone off in different directions to who-knows-where. He assumed that they would return soon enough, however; they were stuck in this as much as he was. He took another drag and exhaled again. He really needed to quit.

After another headache-inducing phone conversation with his _wonderful_ boss, here he stood, deliberating on whether he should shut up and do the mission like he was told, or just tell the director to shove it and that he quit. It would be great to quit, but alas, Nikaido had no other job and had no clue who else would want him to work for them, considering his history with the police,all thanks to his current job.

Sighing, he dropped the cigarette to the pavement and ground it to ashes with the sole of his boot. This was really getting him nowhere, and his group was taking too damn long, wherever it was they were. He had only given them an hour each, however, so they should have begun to return by now.

He stared at the pay phone that he had just hung up, thinking hard. The hell. He was really considering quitting. Damn, he was losing it. He needed another cigarette.

So he lit up another, staring up into the sky, dyed lovely shades of fiery colors thanks to the setting sun. When night fell, they would be on the move again. How he would have loved to just stop and sleep, but they didn't have time for lengthy, comfortable naps like their targets did.

And the most unfortunate thing of all, was that his boss was right this time—they screwed up. They had missed a perfectly good chance to snare the two, and they had slipped up. Now, no one had a clue as to where they were. If he didn't know better, Ikuto had gone somewhere that was so unlike him that none of them would be able to guess. He may have gone somewhere the writer suggested, which made sense. None of them knew the writer, so no one could guess what kinds of hiding places would suit her personality best.

He sighed, closing his eyes just before he heard the footsteps of his returning comrades approaching.

Balancing the cigarette between two fingers as he exhaled, he muttered to himself. "About damn time."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Amu awoke with a start, not realizing that she had dozed off herself. Blinking, she tried to sit up, but found a weight on her stomach. Ah. She had forgotten Ikuto was there.

Her sudden movement had awoke him as well; he blinked blearily and sat up to look at her. "Amu?"

"Sorry for waking you up. Feeling less tired?"

He smiled a little sleepily. "More awake, but still a little tired."

He snuggled back into her stomach, his arms wrapping around her. She flushed lightly. He was...so cute! Resisting the urge to giggle, she gently poked his cheek. "C'mon Ikuto, you're acting like less than half your age."

"Mmm..." he snuggled closer, sighing contentedly. "So let me be a kid for a while."

She rolled her eyes but leaned back again. After a short while, he released her and sat up to lay just alongside her. She turned to face him, her eyes questioning and a little worried. He only sighed, running a hand over his face. She knew that he knew what she wanted to ask him, but it was clear he had no intention of answering, even if her unspoken question was spoken aloud. Amu decided to try anyway.

"What was up with you? You weren't acting like yourself."

He cast his gaze downward, not meeting her eyes.

She sighed in exasperation. "Well, I guess if you're not going to tell me, then I won't bother you about it. I'm gonna go take a shower." She was about to get up and walk away when he seized her from behind, arms around her waist and his head in the crook of her neck.

"Don't go, unless you're going to take me with you."

She blushed at what that implied. "You are perverted to the core."

"Maybe."

"Not 'maybe,' it's 'definitely'."

"Yeah, alright."

She sighed impatiently. He still wasn't releasing her. "I'll be right back, okay? Try and get some more sleep, you still must be tired."

He yawned after she said this. "Fine..." And he released her.

She stretched as she stood, heading out the door into the hallway. Just as she was about to go and get her things, she heard someone playing the piano. It sounded so lovely, that she followed the sound out into the living room, where Nagihiko was sitting down at the instrument, playing with what seemed like little effort.

And what more, it was the very same song she had stuck in her head all day. She knew this song!

However, when she came closer, the playing stopped as he noticed her entrance.

"Ah, Amu. Were you asleep? I tried knocking on your door but you didn't answer."

She flushed lightly. "Yeah, I just went in to check out my room so I got tired and took a nap." _Well, it's not entirely true, but it's not really a lie, either...because I wasn't in my room._

"Ah, I see." He smiled politely as he stood, closing the cover on the piano.

"That song...what was it you were playing just now? It's really beautiful, and sounds familiar as well. What is it called?"

Nagihiko glanced briefly at the sheet music he had been using. "Ah, this? It's called Futari no Kyori. I can't recall who composed it, however. But it is a lovely song, isn't it?"

"It truly is." She smiled a little. "Oh, and Nagihiko?"

He had been about to walk up the stairs again, but he turned to her with a smile. "I wanted to take a shower, so I was wondering if you had any shampoo?"

"It should be in there already. If it isn't, come and tell me." With that, he walked back up the stairs, presumably to where his girlfriend was. Amu giggled quietly. They were a well-matched couple, that much she could tell, even though she hardly knew either of them.

Exhaling heavily, she turned around and headed to the bathroom. As it turned out, Nagihiko was right and there was plenty of soap and shampoo there. Wanting to shower quickly, she closed the door, locked it, and stripped as she turned on the water, testing it for warmth. Once it was satisfying, she quickly got in, savoring the feeling of hot water over her skin. Ah, farewell smelliness!

She hummed the song that Nagihiko had been playing as she lathered her hair up with shampoo and scrubbed it clean. It was called...Futari no Kyori? It was really a pretty song.

After she was done rinsing and scrubbing herself to cleanliness, she changed into the spare clothes she had brought along and towel-dried her hair as best she could before brushing it. Once she was satisfied, she slipped quickly out of the bathroom and into Ikuto's room. He was asleep, but woke up as soon as she closed the door.

"Sorry." She said quietly. "Do you want me to go, or...?" She frowned at the look on his face. His expression was horrified, shocked. She walked over to him, eyebrows furrowed. "Ikuto, are you okay?"

He stared at her intently without saying anything to the point that it began to worry her. "Ikuto...?"

"You're not dead."

She blinked at the strange statement. "Erm...no."

"I see." He flopped down on the bed, his eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, his expression so similar to the one he wore earlier that day.

She cautiously lay down on it as well, keeping a careful distance from him. He was really and truly worrying her now. This wasn't like him.

They were both silent. Tiring of the silent, Amu began softly humming that song to ease up some of the tension. It was quiet, but she was sure that Ikuto could hear her.

After a moment, he spoke up. "I'm sorry, Amu. I'm sorry."

She stopped humming to respond, feeling more confused than ever. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

He glanced at her before sighing and turning away. "It's nothing. Forget it."

However, he rolled over so he was sitting up but leaning over her, one hand on either side of her head. His eyes weren't sad anymore, but distant. And somehow, she felt like this was worse than any of his pained expressions that she had seen. Far worse.

She had been expecting it when his lips met hers, prepared. She kissed him back carefully, still partially worried about him. One of his hands moved, but the other remained in place. The hand that was free stroked her face, cheeks, neck, collarbones; then moved to her shoulders, trailed down an arm, over her stomach, and her waist before returning to it's previous position. He stopped kissing her and stared at her intently again. This expression of his was unnerving.

"Ikuto..." She murmured worriedly, "you aren't alright, are you?"

He didn't answer, but lay back down alongside her gazing at her. She turned to face him as well as he casually draped an arm around her waist.

"It's nothing." He said quietly. "Nothing you need to worry about." He kissed her forehead before laying his head atop hers, holding her closer.

She felt strangely tired after the shower, so once again, she let her eyes flutter shut, but only for a moment....

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When Amu awoke, she found that she was strangely cold. Shivering, she awoke, rubbing her arms up and down. Glancing around, she frowned, wondering why Ikuto wasn't there.

It was just around dinnertime, probably. And it was cold. She trudged out of his room to get her coat. Slipping it on, she returned to his room and flipped the switch on and glanced around the room. Something wasn't right, Amu could feel it in the pit of her stomach. That's when she noticed it. Her notebook, lying on the side of the bed where he had been. With shaking hands, she reached for it, and opened it. Inside was a note, unsigned, but she knew too well who it was from. Tears that she couldn't stop welled up in her eyes as she read the letter, her tears blurring the words written in his handwriting. She threw the letter down and slid to the floor, covering her eyes.

_Amu,_

_  
I'm an idiot. I don't need you to tell me how much of an idiot I am, I know it already. I'm just being a noble idiot, but that doesn't matter to me right now. My stepfather will never rest until I'm dead, I know it. And I know I've been just dragging you down with me. I don't think it's fair. Just because I was interested in you doesn't mean I ever had the right to just involve you in my problems. So I'll not involve you any more than you already are. _

_  
Since you've found this, you should have figured out that I've left. I don't think Nagihiko and that midget girlfriend of his know yet. Tell them if you want, it's up to you._

_Since you're with friends, you should be safe. I know they wouldn't dare to come after you once I go to them. They won't have any purpose for you anymore. I don't have any real regrets, only that I don't want to leave you. Since it's for your safety, I have no other choice._

_  
We probably will never meet again. Yeah, I know you're definitely thinking what a noble idiot I'm being right now. But that's okay. _

_  
I'm sorry for this. I'm so sorry. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for this, someday._

_PS: Keep on writing that story. You're better than you give yourself credit for._

She sobbed as she curled up on the floor. What an idiot she was. How come she never noticed these signs sooner? How? How?

Clenching the letter in one hand she cried like she hadn't in many years.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Stepfather."

The one voice he hated the most came over through the line. "What is it this time, brat? Come to gloat?"

"No." The word was cold and hard.

"I'm turning myself in. The chase is over."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

This was...such a...long...chapter. -dies-

There you have it! Sadness in a little sad bundle. I made Ikuto super huggy in this because he figures it's his last time with her and he wants to um...be clingy while he can.

As for the song that Nagi was playing on the piano, it's a song from the Shugo Chara OST. It's a really pretty song that's played in a few Amuto moments. Look it up sometime, it's a nice song.

Yeah, there wasn't much Rima in this chapter. She'll be in the next one more.

And also, songfic most likely next chapter. I also realize that I make them sleep a lot. Um...sorry. I need some way to pass the time. XD I'll try to make them sleep less.

Read and review you guys! PLEEEASE!


	12. Over the Hills and Far Away

Like I said it would be, this is the songfic chapter. I'm no pro at songfics, so don't murder me please. The song is 1000 Oceans by Tokio Hotel. I'm obsessed with that band at the moment, so you might see a few songfics with their songs...because, well, in my opinion a few of their songs really match what's going on with Ikuto in the manga right now. Particularly 'Rescue Me', so check it out sometime.

The song used in this chapter (remove the 'dot's to view):

www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=5S-uj-n0bjg

This chapter might be slightly shorter than the norm, and instead of a song like I normally put at the beginning, I put a quote. And also, it might be slightly confusing because the locations tend to change after each little portion of the song. Hope it's not too befuddling.

Okay, read and hopefully enjoy!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Stolen**

_Part Twelve:_

Over the Hills and Far Away

* * *

"_**Morning without you is a dwindled dawn."**_

_**-Emily Dickinson**_

* * *

She curled up, a letter in hand, tears streaming silently down her cold cheeks. She was cold, but didn't bother to warm herself up. Instead she simply lay there, holding herself together as well as she possibly could, the battered piece of notebook paper that his words were written on held in her cold hand. She didn't want to let go, it was all she had left of his. He hadn't brought any belongings with him. It didn't matter now.

Shivering, she stood, slowly, mechanically, stiffly. She wiped away her tears from her burning eyes and stood up on shaking legs that felt as if they were going to give way. But she had to tell Nagihiko...he deserved that much. She was going to leave, because there was no way she was going to leave Ikuto to die. There was no way. And when she saw him again, she would smack him over and over and tell him what a big fat idiot he was to go like that.

She slowly made her way out of the room, shaking step by shaking step. Nagihiko and Rima sat there, talking amongst themselves. Nagihiko stood, his usual nonchalant expression on his face until he saw hers. He froze, his face darkening.

Backpack over her shoulder, she strode over to him, inclining her head. "Thank you, for everything Nagihiko. I really appreciate it, but I have to go. B-because..." She held up the letter. "He's gone. I have to go now. G-good bye."

She half walked, half-stumbled out the front door, the icy air of the night hitting her face.

_Empty Streets  
I follow every breath  
Into the night _

No one was outside at this hour, some of the driveways had cars parked on them, and nearly all the houses had lights on, she could see them shining through the windows. Her breath misted out in front of her as she began to walk, knowing she wouldn't get there fast enough at this rate, but wanting to try anyway.

She heard Nagihiko's voice calling out behind her, heard the door slam. Heard two sets of footsteps from behind her, felt a hand on each of her arms. She stared at the two blankly.

Naghiko looked agitated, running a hand through his hair. "We'll drive you to Hotori's. Our car won't last long, but we can take you that far." Beside him, Rima nodded quietly.

"...Right." She mumbled. She saw their worried glances, but ignored them.

_The wind so cold  
The sun is frozen  
The world has lost its light _

She sat in the back seat as they drove, hunched over as she left the window open, feeling the icy air on her skin and finding that it felt better that way, for whatever reason. The night was dark, the moon cloaked by dark, roiling clouds. Several stars were even blotted out by the dark clouds, making the night darker than usual. She had been outside at night many times, and had usually found the night sky welcoming...not now, though. It was frightening, menacing, and painfully unfamiliar.

_I carry your picture  
Deep in me  
Back to you  
Over 1000 seas _

Amu closed her eyes as she felt the cold she so hated chill her already cold cheeks even further. Rima and Nagihiko were worried, she knew, but she didn't have the strength in her to close the window as she sank into a very brief, painful dreamland.

In her dream, she could see every memory clearly. Though she hadn't known him for that long, she remembered him more clearly than anything. That stupid smirk, the way his dark eyes shone with that mysterious sparkle, even how scary he looked when he looked really serious. Then everything faded to black.

She opened her eyes a crack, watching the scenery go by without really seeing anything. Many questions arose in her mind. Where was he? Was he still alive? Did he really turn himself in? Would they come after her next if they did kill him? But mostly...how close was he to where she was? Was she on his mind as well? She clenched her fists, closing her eyes and not really wanting to think anymore.

_Back to us  
Don't you lose  
Your trust and your belief  
Just trust me _

Ikuto stood against the wall, stiff as can be. He knew what he was doing was unwise, of course he knew who he would be leaving alone and crying. Despite how strong his younger sister was, she would be devastated. And Amu...he didn't want to think about how she would feel. If she were here, she would be smacking him clean across the face for being an idiot. He hardly listened as he heard the car driving up, the screeching of the tires on the pavement loud enough for anyone to hear.

He stared with blank eyes as the four who had been after them for the past few days exited the car, one by one. One of them held a narrow club in his bulky hands, presumably for knocking him out with. Not that it would be necessary, but they would want to use it anyway. He turned his face to the sky, thinking of nothing but her. That time with her was the last, and even in death, he would remember it.

He thought of her still, even as the club collided with the back of his neck and he plunged into the shadowy abyss of unconciousness...

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 dark years when time has died  
1000 stars are passing by_

The car stopped with a jolt, startling Amu out of her pained reverie. Shaking still, she exited the car with the assistance of Nagihiko and Rima, who still looked worried. They stood just outside a home that she assumed was Tadase's. Numbly, she began to walk forward just as Tadase exited the house.

"Amu?" He looked horrified, quickly running up to meet them. She stumbled, and he caught her, helping her back up.

"Nagihiko...?"

He sighed, running a hand through his bangs again. "I don't know the details. It's all happened so fast, you should ask her yourself because she didn't tell us much."

More words were exchanged, but Amu stopped listening as she climbed in the passenger seat of Tadase's car, bringing her knees up to her chest again and resting her head on them.

She felt oddly detached, now, as she stared off into the night sky again. The stars and moon were visible, but the night was still dark. Oddly enough, it was because there _was_ no moon. It must have been the season for the new moon, then. However, the thousands of stars twinkled like bright little jewels until Amu couldn't look at them anymore.

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 times against an endless tide  
We'll be free to live our life _

When he awoke, his head throbbed horribly and his limbs ached from being in the same position for too long. His body was jostled as the car moved through potholes and over bumps in the road.

Why was he giving up? A part of him longed for nothing more than to just break free and run the whole way back to Amu, no matter how hard it would be. Perhaps this made him even more of an idiot than he was already being, if possible. He faintly heard voices over the rumbled of the engine. He didn't care to listen, he didn't want to hear his own death discussed in such a casual way while they argued who would take the credit and blame for his capture and soon to be murder.

He didn't bother keeping his eyes open as he let the car jostle him uncomfortably about.

_I know somewhere  
We'll find a little place  
For you and me  
It all turned out  
A different way _

Tadase occasionally reached over to comfort her, stroking her hair or patting her shoulder, and she let him. It did make her feel slightly better.

She gave into more fantasies and hopefulness, it was all she had left to cling to besides the cold. And she was already tired of embracing the icy numbness, she wanted warmth. She wanted _his_ warmth. She thought of the few times they had been together, hiding away. She imagined what it would have been like to hide in other places, thinking of the places she could have hidden at. The thought made her heart both ache and race at the same time. For it would never be if she couldn't reach him in time.

If only there was such a place...a place where they could live and stay together in peace. She opened her eyes, staring at the road ahead of her. She vaguely heard Tadase ask for directions and responded before closing her eyes again and drifting away in her fantasies.

_Can't feel the pulse  
In our veins  
So weak today _

The car stopped, he was sure of it. Blinking, he cracked an eye open, checking his surroundings from what he could see. He was in the back seat, handcuffed to the car. Ah, they were clever. He winced as he sat up, swaying. His head still throbbed, making him close his eyes, unable to stare too long at anything around him.

They must be close. That would be the only reason that Nikaido would make a stop. They were close to his stepfather, who wanted him to suffer in every way possible. How he loathed that man. It was all his fault that he had to even be on the run in the first place, it was ridiculous. He clenched his hand into a fist.

He was not different now than he had been back then, always falling into his stepfather's little games.

_We'll let our heartbeat  
Guide us through the dark  
Just trust me _

How stupid he really was. He had wanted to give himself away so she would be safe, but he found himself wanting nothing more than to be back with her, to hear her heartbeat, see her blush, feel her hair beneath his fingertips. On the brink of death, he could only remember the girl who was really his demise...but he felt not hostility, only a strange sense of fondness.

He wanted to laugh as he remembered the words that had gotten her into this mess. Trust...it didn't mean anything now. There was no doubt in his mind that she wasn't trusting him right now.

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 dark years when time has died  
1000 stars are passing by _

'Ikuto. I _will_ find you, no matter what it takes. Even though I might be young and foolish, I'll go whatever distance necessary to see you again. I won't give up until I can smack you for being such an idiot, you idiot.'

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 times against an endless tide  
We'll be free to live our life _

'Amu...even though I thought I was prepared to never see you again, I find myself wanting to. Maybe it was wrong of me, but it doesn't matter as long as you live the life you deserve to.'

_There's nothing and no one we'll miss  
And one day we'll look back  
With no regrets _

She practically jumped out of the car as soon as Tadase stopped it. She heard him getting out as well, following closely behind her.

"Why the library, Amu?"

"I need to find him. Kazuomi Hoshina."

"What...? I..."

She smiled a pained smile as she looked back at him. "Thank you, Tadase, but I need to go on from here by myself. Please. It's important."

He looked at her seriously. "Amu..."

She dashed up to him and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Just know that you were once the only person I loved." He stroked her hair for a moment until she released him, tears in her eyes as she turned around and dashed away, feeling the notebooks in her backpack hit her back as she ran, the feeling returning to her legs as she did so. She was too afraid to look back at Tadase.

He would forgive her, hopefully, maybe, someday.

_1000 oceans wide  
1000 endless years have died  
1000 oceans wide  
1000 stars are passing by  
Passing by _

The car started up again as he continued to feign unconsciousness. There were people on either side of him, meaning that there were two in the front.

He could hear them mumbling to one another, but couldn't hear what they were saying.

It was still night, he could tell when he decided to risk cracking an eye open. It was nighttime, the same night he had left Amu. It hardly seemed like time was going by, even though he knew how quickly it was moving. A thousand years could have gone by and he might not have even noticed.

_Please don't drift away from me  
Please don't drift away from me _

Notes that contained the address of the corporate industry owned by a man named Kazuomi Hoshina, Amu headed determinedly towards the bus stop. The drive wouldn't be that long, and she had enough money to afford the bus fair.

"Just hang on, Ikuto." She whispered to herself as she stepped on the bus and sat down after paying the fare. "I'll save you, I swear it. Just hold on and keep on living until then."

Her voice shook slightly as she silently prayed for his life.

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 dark years when time has died  
1000 stars are passing by_

The car drove on for a while, until he heard it come to a stop. People got out, then someone was removing the handcuffs where they were connected to the car, and cuffing it to their own wrist instead.

"Get up, Tsukiyomi." So it was Nikaido. He groaned and stood, swaying a little as his head throbbed.

He watched the starry, moonless night sky with the strangest look of wonder on his face. The stars really were so lovely, and in a strange way, he felt almost at peace with his fate now. Despite how far away Amu was right now, he felt as though she were close and getting closer. A strange feeling.

_We have to go 1000 oceans wide  
1000 times against an endless tide  
Then we'll be free _

Amu was just about to nod off when the bus hit a bump in the road, jolting her into alertness. Her heart clenched with sadness as she realized how close she was, but at the same time, how far.

She knew she would save him, she had to, she had to, there was no way she wasn't going to. As the bus pulled to a halt, she was one of the first people to scrambled off the bus, dragging her backpack carelessly behind her, eyes glued to her notes as she walked, glancing around before glancing back at her notes. She was close, she could feel it, and according to her notes...

Ah. She froze before the entrance to an enormous and very important looking company building, the title scrawled at the top in fancy print.

"Easter." She murmured aloud, her hands fisting at her sides.

Ikuto was not going to die here. They were both walking out of this alive. She began to head towards the building.

_Please don't drift away from me  
Please don't drift away from me _

He felt lightheaded, oddly dreamy as they sedated him. For what? Who knew. He then felt himself being carried somewhere, then carelessly thrown in.

Before he passed out, however, he could have sworn he saw a flurry of pink hair go by...

He reached out towards it weakly before unconsciousness consumed him.

"Amu."

_1000 Oceans wide..._

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Short chapter, forgive me? But it had to be this way, it was necessary.

Yes, sad chapter, I know. I can't promise that it will get a lot better, either. I know I've said this before, but remember that it is a tragedy story. I'm sorry if you don't like tragedy, but that's what I intended for this to be ever since I wrote the first chapter.

I finally feel like this story is steadily inching towards it's conclusion, which is seriously relieving. I'm eager to work on my next story, which some of you have already checked out. If you haven't, please do. It's called Seductive Fragrance.

And the song is really good, I highly recommend that you watch it on the link I put to get the whole feel of the chapter.

Okay, please review!


	13. Last Real Warmth

God damn. It's been ages since I last updated. And all I have to say is...well, damn.

I was so uninspired it wasn't even funny. I've hardly even been reading fanfics lately, seriously. I've been doing lots of other things and really haven't felt like writing.

Ha. Well, if anyone actually reviews this I'll be amazed. Please do review though, I'd love it. And I'll try to get my a double s back on schedule here. But...damn. So long without an update. I'm surprised at myself. :/

Also, this is officially the longest chapter I have written for this story yet. To make up for things I guess? Either that, or to find a way to finish it up quicker. But yes, a long chapter. Not the best I've written, I'm afraid, but it's not the worst.

Please read and review!

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**Stolen**

_Part Thirteen:_

Last Real Warmth

* * *

_**Within the darkness**_

_**despair and the future **_

_**are intimate with each other  
**_

_**The moonlight, which exposes sadness**_

_**coldly illuminated them... **_

_**-Lacrimosa by Kalafina

* * *

**_

She stood before the building, her entire body paralyzed. She was only so many feet away from Ikuto. She had to leap this distance, absolutely had to reach him. Resolute in her decision, she scowled determinedly and began to walk briskly, golden eyes blazing hotter with fiery determination each step she took, each time she thought about Ikuto, locked up somewhere, on the brink of death.

She couldn't let anything get in her way, not now, not here. He had saved her, and it was about time to repay the favor. She wasn't going to let him be a noble idiot forever.

However, a voice called out to her from behind.

"You."

Amu whirled around, her heart in her throat, eyes wide. They had caught her already?

A girl with a hat over her head called out to her. She was fairly tall, slender, but concealed her figure and face with baggy clothing as well as a hat and sunglasses. Her voice was melodic, but colder than the coldest of ice.

The mysterious woman strode up to her, her steps quick and light. She paused about a foot and a half away from Amu. Her stance was rigid, her arms lock at her sides and her legs not even an inch apart. She stood stock still for several seconds before lifting up a slender hand to place them on the sunglasses, tugging at them until they came free from her face. She did the same with the hat, her now freed long blond hair flowing down her back. She was undeniably beautiful.

However, it wasn't the woman's looks that she noticed. Amu was entranced by her eyes, those familiar eyes that she had seen one one occasion too many, eyes that she saw so often in her dreams and eyes that she had once longed to simply fall into.

Ikuto's eyes.

"My name is Utau Hoshina..." Her voice was steady, her stance still unyielding. "...Or rather, Tsukiyomi."

Amu gasped in shock. Ikuto's younger sister, the one he had been worried about? Utau Hoshina, the famous singer? Even though he had told her this, she was stunned to see her in person since she had been least expecting it.

"You're her, aren't you?" She raised her face slightly so her eyes could bore into Amu's shocked golden ones. "The one my brother was so interested in."

Amu could only nod numbly, still in a state of total shock. She was meeting someone famous for one, and (even though she knew this, it still never failed to surprise her) Ikuto's younger sister. Ikuto's closest relative.

Utau sighed. Her expression seeming slightly saddened. "I assume he told you everything..." Instead of waiting for her to answer, she continued on, "Stepfather wants Ikuto dead. He wants you dead too. As since you're here now, that must mean Ikuto's been captured." Her expression was mostly unchanging, except for a flicker of an emotion in her eyes that Amu did not recognize. "He is a fool. Such a fool. After everything, I thought he would be able to keep a level head, but still he..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes distant.

When Amu looked at her, not appearing to understand, the older woman sighed, casting her gaze downward as if to hide her expression. "However, that isn't what's important. I just knew he would pull something like this, I knew it. I just didn't really want to believe he would do it, since he's never cared about another living being to the point that he would put his life on the line for them."

Amu spoke now, her voice hoarse. "I'm going to make sure he lives, and not dies because of me." She said each word slowly, carefully.

Her eyes snapped up to meet Amu's, and her expression was cold as ice. "Then go." Her voice was just as frigid as her expression. "Stop my older brother from dying. Save him from the demons in that building that want him gone."

Amu was shocked by her sudden change in emotion. "Tell me how. Just tell me how, and it _will_ be done."

Utau's eyes narrowed. "The back entrance. It's almost always unguarded, and will be particularly empty at this time of night. Proceed on through the warehouse. Beyond the warehouse is ramp that is used by the workers to get into the lobby. I don't know which floor they're holding him on, you must find that out for yourself. Now go!" She yelled the last word, eyes blazing with a cold fire.

Her face dead serious, Amu nodded, determination flickering over the desperation in her eyes as she turned heel and ran, fighting the tears that still burned at the corners of her eyes.

Utau turned and replaced the sunglasses over her eyes. She strode away, silently, but as she walked, her icy mask melted and what was left of it fell down her cheeks in a few, shining teardrops.

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She shivered. It was freezing here. Absolutely freezing. Her hands and feet and face were all numb from the cold. It was true, the entrance that Ikuto's sister Utau had sent her to was completely unguarded. However, it was also a storage room and was as cold as could be. The cement of the walls felt more like rock-solid ice than what they really were.

Her breath misting out in front of her, she reached a trembling hand for the door and twisted it; the door swung open. Beyond the doorway was a warehouse, full of crates of varying size, color, shape, and probably importance. They were arranged in an unorganized fashion around the room in towering stacks that looked uncomfortably precarious. Eager to get out of the danger zone, Amu made a mad dash for the end of the room, tripping twice on the way but never falling down.

Panting, she leaned against the wall again, glancing around. No one was here. That was too odd, just too odd.

But now, beyond the warehouse...was a ramp. Gripping the railing, she carefully walked up it, clenching her teeth as she carefully took each step. One false move and she wouldn't be walking out of here, with Ikuto or not.

Once she reached the top, she scanned the room again quickly. Still, it was devoid of people.

Beyond this ramp there was a short staircase and a door at the top. It claimed that it led to the bottom floor, the lobby. Licking her lips and swallowing hard, she easily climbed the stairs but rested her hand on the door, inhaling and exhaling deeply. In the brief second her nervousness and hesitation vanished, she opened the door and stepped outside it, closing it securely behind her. Now, she was in a long hallway that she began to proceed down, pulling her jacket's hood up over her head as she half-jogged down the hallway, pressing against the walls and walking sideways like a crab whenever she heard noise.

Now, however, Amu began to hear the noises of the lobby. There weren't many people, the few that were there stood talking to the secretary up front, and none of the older people seemed to notice her slip by.

She froze as she realized: _Where is Ikuto?_

She bit her lip worriedly. He had to be around here somewhere. She was about to go up the stairs until she heard people coming downstairs, their voices carrying to her as they spoke. She quickly hid behind a trash can, grateful she wasn't very tall.

"...in the cell. You know, that one." A deep male voice spoke, sounding almost excited.

"I know. You seem to be eager." A female replied in a cool voice.

"But I wanted to do this for so long, and now is my chance!"

The woman sighed, and there was silence until she spoke again. Amu wished she could see what they were doing. "You are a violent fool, Touma. You must learn not to overexcite yourself with the prospect of torture, beating, and murder."

"Right, right. So do you remember where that cell is? It's been a while since my last _visit_ to it."

"Fifth floor, that secret panel. You know that, and don't you dare forget it again." Her voice was hushed, as if she was careful to ensure no one heard. Amu barely heard it herself. But then she winced at the man's next words.

"Yeah. I just can't wait to give that Tsukiyomi brat a piece of my mind!" He laughed a deep booming laugh and the female snorted in disgust. Then their voices grew distant and Amu quickly ran to the stairs, taking two or three at a time. Fifth floor...what was on that floor? A secret panel, _that_ cell? Tsukiyomi brat? Her heard was beating a painful rhythm against her chest as she ran, cold sweat coating her trembling body beneath her sweatshirt.

She ran as quickly and silently as she could, her breath coming in quick gasps, her throat and nose dry and burning. _The fifth floor...I can make it, I must make it, I must hold on..._

Amu felt blessed with luck; she hadn't had another close shave since before she had discovered the staircase. However, the eerily silent hallways of what seemed like a usually bustling big-time corporation felt strange to her. However, it did make sense considering what hour it was. The few people that were around probably were on a special payroll or something like that.

She stopped now, hands on her knees and breathing heavily. Her hair clung to her face and neck and she was drenched in sweat. She felt weary and worn down, and would have loved for nothing more than to just curl up and sleep right there. However, because it was for Ikuto, she simply couldn't allow herself to stop if his life was in danger.

Turning cautiously to the door, golden eyes unwavering, she tested the handle, not expecting it to be unlocked. However, when the sleek doorknob turned easily beneath her fingers, and opened the door before her, she nearly stumbled in. She glanced around before closing the door silently behind her, praying desperately that she wouldn't get caught and that Ikuto was alive still, wherever he was at present.

Her breath came in short, shaking puffs as she awkwardly tiptoed her way across the well-furnished office room, carefully placing one foot after the other as if she was trying to balance on a balance beam. Slowly, steadily, quiet as a mouse. She had no idea who the room's usual occupant or occupants were, and no idea...where they were either. It was too quiet, and uncomfortably so. You could have dropped a pin and it would have seemed thunderous in the silence. Something was amiss, and Amu could feel it.

She scanned the room again. It was nothing more than a large office space; the wide desk held an expensive looking system of some kind, and Amu didn't recognize it. The desk sat before a large window, a window so large that it made her feel like it would be easy for anyone looking in from the outside to see her. Thankfully, there were dark curtains that were partially drawn.

Stacks of what appeared to be documents were piled neatly on the desk in various places, and a cushioned armchair sat just behind the desk, pushed in, appearing as if it hadn't been touched recently, or in a while for that matter.

The rest of the room was unremarkable and plain; no pictures decorated the blue-gray walls that were utterly bare, devoid of any kind of frame or adornment. The ceiling was fairly high, and the only truly interesting thing about the entire room was it's abyss-like window, and a rather droopy looking potted plant that stood taller than she.

There was a clock upon the desk, but time was frozen here; the hand was not moving. Thus, the total silence. Whether the clock had ever worked at all was unknown.

All she knew was that she was getting a horrible feeling simply by being here, and would have loved for nothing more than to just leave.

But, thinking of Ikuto being hurt or even dead drove her on. The thoughts both saddened and enraged her, and made her all the more determined to find him.

Recalling the woman's words from the staircase, she began to awkwardly feel along the paint on the walls, looking for a ledge, a nick, a mark or indent of some kind. She had said secret panel, but...where?

She chewed on her lip nervously as she ran her trembling hands over the walls with the lightest of touches. She was running out of time, and she knew it. She had to work harder, more quickly.

Amu continued to walk along the walls, feeling every inch she could reach. However, at one point, she noticed the wood paneling along the bottom of the walls that was only on the left side of the room, which was to the right of the desk. Frowning, she crouched down, rocking back slightly on the balls of her feet as she ever so lightly traced the insignificant and inartistic carvings that seemed so out of place in this room that she wondered how on Earth she could have missed it.

Feeling determined, she pressed lightly on ever panel, feeling desperate when none gave way. At last, she came to the final one, the panel in the corner. Praying, hoping, thinking this would be it, she pushed.

Nothing happened.

She gave another push. And another. And still, the wall didn't move. She swallowed hard, feeling a sick twist of despair in her gut as she turned around and leaned back against the wall, putting her head on her knees. _Now what? Now what?_

As she leaned against the panel, putting all her weight on it, only then she felt a shift. Flailing, she stood up suddenly as the wood panel that had been pushed in revealed a trap door that had not been visible before. Unable to stop the smile on her face, she jumped into the darkness beneath the floor with a grin on her face.

The trap door closed over her with a barely noticeable creak.

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He grumbled to himself, entering the room as he muttered bitterly. His stepson was caught, and all was well. Or at least, it should have been.

Nothing had gone wrong yet, not a thing. And that was what troubled him. If it involved Ikuto Tsukiyomi, it almost never went exactly according to plan. The fact that things were going so smoothly was something he was not used to, and quite frankly, it unnerved him.

After speaking to Nikaido and the others, he knew for certain that Ikuto was still safely secured in the cells contained in a small, secret room in a sturdy hollow located in the walls of his office. The cells could be accessed by pressing a panel will full force, thus opening a trap door that led to a small hallway, which led to the cells.

True, it was cliché and theatrical, but it did the trick.

As he strode over to where the secret panel was, however, he was horrified to notice that the trap door had not been closed securely.

As soon as he noticed this abnormality, he barreled out of his office in a hurry.

He knew this would happen. Things simply did not go as planned if those things happened to involve someone by the name of Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

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Was he awake, or asleep still?

Everything was utterly and completely black. It was the blackest darkness he had ever been in, so dark it rendered him immobile and unable to do anything but simply exist. Even breathing proved difficult, for it felt like something was constricting his chest like a tight, metal band.

If his eyes were open, he couldn't tell. It was too dark to see, think, feel, breathe, to do _anything. _It was pure and complete blackness, and he lost himself in it, unable to stop his mind from entering an oddly dreamlike state as he wondered if he was alive or dead, awake or asleep. Was this a dream or reality? It was too dark to do anything.

Did he even have a body anymore? There was a strangely cold numbness that was all over, that was slowing him down. He hardly even remembered his own name, it was pathetic. He lay here, suspended in this dreamlike reality, unable to think for himself like a discarded puppet whose strings had been cut.

He tried, tried hard to think, willing his numbed mind to recall exactly what was going on, but nothing came. No memories, no consciousness, no escape from the darkness that never let up.

Then he found himself drifting off even further into what could only be called sleep...

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Nikaido pulled his coat more comfortable about himself as he stood outside the company building, smoking a cigarette. He took a slow, steady drag and exhaled, his eyes lost in though and his normally sarcastic expression not present. He was serious and detached, and didn't even have time to think about how much his job really did suck or how much he despised the man he worked for and called 'boss'.

The night-turned-early-morning was just as cold as it would be any other day of the year during the cold seasons, and it seemed like nothing was out of place, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

However, to him everything seemed a complete mess. He felt oddly guilty of turning in the Tsukiyomi kid. Was that because he had gone down without a fight, turned himself in without questions or resistance, had thrown his entire life (if you could call it that) away for a young woman who was practically still a little girl?

He took another slow, but shorter drag on his cigarette before exhaling, watching the smoke fade into the night.

Who knows. What the kid had was hardly a life, and when it came time for him to die, it wouldn't matter anymore and he, Nikaido, would not have to worry about stupid things that didn't matter and would never really matter and really _shouldn't _matter to him.

But the strange thing was, it did matter. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't stand being inside that building right now (then again, he usually couldn't stand being within a few meters of the place).

He wasn't going to make anything 'right' either; his conscience had stopped talking to him long ago, and even if it did, he wouldn't listen. He had done too much and knew the guilt would only pile up if he paid too much attention to it, so it was preferable to ignore it.

But for some reason, he felt uncomfortable at the fact that someone was going to die at his hands in about an hour or so and was reluctant to even go near his gun.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared up at the dark sky.

It didn't matter now, it was too late. No matter how much guilt he felt, he would ignore it, and do his job...no matter how much he truly despised it.

However, when Sanjou came dashing towards him in a hurry, her glasses and normally tidy red hair askew, eyes frantic and yelling something at him, his guilt as well as cigarette lay forgotten in the streets. He was all business now; he had something to take care of and he would get it done. That's all there was to it, and that's all there ever would be.

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It was too dark. Amu hugged her arms to herself as she stumbled along in the darkness. After jumping down through the hidden door, she had slipped and fallen, bruising her knees and scraping her hands and elbows. She hadn't expected there to be a drop after the door. Now she was freezing cold and unable to see. Her breath misted out in front of her as she carefully slid her feet along with each step, careful not to trip. The ground was completely solid, so she was sure any kind of slip would result in something painful.

Ikuto...where was he? Was he already dead? Was he still alive somewhere? If she did find him, what next? How would she escort a wanted man out of a massive business industry like this one, despite what hour it was? These questions constantly nagged at her, creating an uncomfortable knot in her stomach and a lump in her throat that she couldn't get rid of. A part of her felt like crying, but the other part of her held the tears back and kept her feet trudging onward.

After what felt like forever, she noticed a faint light towards the end of the hall. The light was faint, either far away or dim, but that didn't matter. Eager at the thought of being able to see, she picked up her pace, her breathing becoming heavier as slid the palms of her hands along the walls of the hall like a blind person.

It seemed like even longer before she reached the source of the light. It was a dim light, a very dim one, and it was coming from a worn old door that was left open. She pushed the door open the rest of the way with a cautious, trembling hand. The room beyond was revealed to her, and she quickly stepped in. The dim light was coming from this room, it would seem. There were a few dim lamps dangling from the ceiling, providing the sparse, flickering light. Not much was here other than a cabinet that had little in it spare a few bottles containing some strange substances, a battered chair by an empty desk, and a dark and empty looking cell behind her. The bars were beginning to show signs of rust, and when she attempted to open the door, it appeared to be rusted together as well as locked. She gave a sigh of defeat. Ikuto must not be here. Yet she had come here for nothing, and now she was trapped Sliding down against the wall she was just about to put her head in her hands until she heard something.

Her head snapped up, and she listened more carefully this time. Yes...she wasn't hearing things. There it was again! A gasp? Someone taking a breath...but that breath sounded awfully pained. She stood up suddenly, ignoring her throbbing knees and dashed over to the cell, eager and alert. She was practically shoving her face between the bars, her eyes desperately searching the shadows, until she saw him.

A single tear that she had not given permission to fall slid silently down her face. He was here. He was actually here!

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He still felt as if his mind was mush, but the fog in his head was steadily clearing. He registered the fact that he was lying somewhere cold, hard, and uncomfortable, and was aware that he was sore all over. Other than that, his mind couldn't quite rouse his body, so he stayed immobile. His ears vaguely registered the presence of another in the room. There were footsteps...maybe. He couldn't quite tell.

He heard some shuffling and movement and a period of silence. Then he heard a gasp of surprise. His head throbbed suddenly.

He then heard a voice call to him, timidly. "I-Ikuto?"

His head throbbed again. Oh, he knew that voice. Of course he knew it. The haze in his mind was steadily clearing as he struggled to be totally conscious. He mangaged a sigh but that was it. He was beginning to get frustrated. That beloved voice spoke yet again.

"Oh, you're alive...! But we need to go..." Her voice trailed off worriedly.

He forced himself to move, forced the drug to wear off. He slowly, shakily sat up and opened his eyes. He stood and stepped forward, finding each action easier than the last. His head still felt fuzzy, but he felt as if he could comprehend better and he was slowly able to move again. He walked towards the bars, and saw the girl he never thought he'd see again, except after death.

"Amu." He said, his voice husky.

She nodded furiously, a few more tears sliding down her face. He slipped a hand through the bars of the cage and pressed a hand to her damp cheek. "Don't cry." Was all he said as he stroked her cheek reassuringly. She trembled a bit before holding her hand over his as tight as she could. "You are such an idiot. I'm going to let you out so I can smack you." He blinked at this, then frowned.

"Right. I probably deserve it."

"Not _probably_ you _do _deserve it."

He only nodded. Then she sighed and released his hand as she pulled a hairpin out of her hair. She frowned at his raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just...a hair pin? Do you honestly think that will work? It's a little..."

She scowled. "Oh, does it matter how I get this lock undone? I don't know where the key is so there's nothing else I can do!"

He shrugged in response. "Give it a try then."

Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, she opened the pin and stuck it in the lock. After several seconds of jiggling and twisting, there was a resounding click as the lock opened. Triumphant, she removed the lock and then smiled at his dumbfounded face. He then shook his head and said nothing.

Amu grabbed the rusted bars and pulled as hard as she could, but they hardly moved. She gave another tug. "Ikuto, help me." She said urgently.

He dragged his feet over to where she was, and pushed on the bars with what little strength he had, throwing his weight into it.

There was a loud screech, a creek, and the door of the cell slid open. The two stood facing each other in surprise, no barriers between them. Amu recovered first, her face setting into a determined scowl before coming up to him and smacking him across the face. The motion made his head spin and he winced. Damn, that hurt. That was the first time he was ever smacked by a girl before.

"Ouch."

"Good."

Then her face softened and she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. "You are the stupidest person I have ever met. How could you have done that to me?"

He didn't answer, but simply hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

"No matter. You'll be coming with me now." She leaned up to kiss him with as much strength as she could muster and he held her to him and returned the favor. He leaned down to bite her ear and she squealed and he chuckled. "This isn't the time for it but..." He pressed his lips to the side of her neck. "It's hard to resist."

She blushed darkly. _What on earth is he doing? In this situation? _She struggled to push his head away from him in shock. "We need to go."

He nodded seriously. "I know."

She hugged his head to her chest and ran her fingers through his hair, feeling tears sting her eyes again. "I can't possibly let you die. I can't. The very thought kills me."

"I had thought it might be better that way." He replied with a sad smile.

She shook her head, still holding back tears. "No." She pulled him to her again. He was really and truly alive. She had done it, she had gotten to him before they had decided to kill him. He was so very warm and so very alive.

She then stood suddenly, her eyes serious. "Let's go. Now."

Ikuto stopped her as she began to proceed from the direction in which she had come. "There's another way."

She blinked in surprise. "Another...?"

"Just follow me. The reason they had to drug me was so I couldn't easily escape on my own. I know this place well enough, so they had to be cautious since I knew nearly all the escape routes."

She nodded, gripping his hand as if she were afraid that he would be lost to her again.

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Easter company. That was what he had overheard her telling the bus driver. She had no idea that he had overheard, and had no idea that he had just pulled up here. Tadase frowned to himself. Why on Earth would Amu be so desperate to come here in the early hours of the morning? He glanced at the sky. It was beginning to lighten now. It would truly be morning soon, and people would wake up to go to work. He was tired, but not enough so that it would stop him from helping Amu. It was true, he had been rejected, but he still wanted to help her during the worst.

He exited his car and strode across the deserted parking lot.

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He ran, harder than he had run in a while, already so weary of the chase. His loaded gun at his side felt heavier than a sack of bricks and he was tired of this job and this burden.

Now was no time to think about that though. His glasses were gone, as well as the last dregs of his sarcastic kindness.

It was his job, and it was time to complete his job with a bang.

Literally.

And there they were, the source of his job, the target. That's all there was to it.

Steady...aim...fire. He gripped the gun at his hip firmly.

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Whew. That one one helluva ending, huh? I'm cruel, that was a total cliffie.

Also, Amu's dream from a few chapters ago will become crucial soon. If you remember it, good, if not, then you might want to reread it.

Ack. I feel sooo tired right now. I hope that made sense, and I'm sorry for the long wait. I'll try to get done with the next chapter, which will most likely be the second to last one.

Please read and review, hope you enjoyed this despite the incredible lateness!


	14. The End of the Thief's Tale

This is...the second to last chapter. Officially, for sure, I'm not changing my mind.

And most of you have guessed the plot, I've dropped many hints. Most of you have guessed right.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me through all of this!

Again, sorry for the long wait but...I didn't know how to write this. It was so, so, so hard to.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as best you can.

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**Stolen**

_Part Fourteen:_

The End of the Thief's Tale

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_**The twinkling of the stars calls to the wind  
**_

_**Your smile erases the noise  
**_

_**The angel in your eyes is whispering  
**_

_**That everything is starting now...**_

_**-Wish by Olivia**_

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Amu could see nothing other than the consuming blackness within the tunnel.

She heard nothing other than their combined breathing, the sound of their footsteps.

She felt nothing other than the warmth of his hand around hers, the damp chill in the air.

She still faintly tasted the taste of his lips on hers, but only if she licked them.

She said nothing other than whispering his name once in worry, her only response being the tightening of his grip on her hand.

She wanted nothing more right now than to simply be with him. To hold him and just not let go. There was no way she was ever going to relinquish her hold on him now. Ikuto was far too precious to her, she knew that now more than she ever had.

She worriedly held his hand more tightly. This had to be the most frightening thing that had ever happened to her in a long while, and she simply wanted to go somewhere with Ikuto and stay there, for a very, very long time.

"Almost there." He whispered. The words made her stomach clench and her heartbeat speed up. Did that mean good or bad news for them? There could very well be workers just beyond this tunnel, waiting to kill them.

Amu held his hand tighter still. If they were to die, she would rather go with him. It was only fitting that way.

Or so she hoped.

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Nikaido leaned against a wall, not unlike the one he had been earlier. However, this time he had no cigarette and no sense of guilt or calmness. He had nothing but a weary desire to finish this torturous job and felt nothing other than the solidness of the handle of the pistol that was now clenched in a hand. He had abandoned his usual spectacles. However, he had also donned a strange sense of grim coolness, an emotion that showed that he clearly knew his job and knew exactly what he had to do. Easy? No way. He had been doing this for years though, so it was something that had, unfortunately, grown on him. Boss loved tossing the dirty jobs on him, throwing the grossest and heaviest of the burdens upon Nikaido's shoulders, leaving the sarcastic man to deal with it all on his own. Despite whoever the director had chosen to team him up with at the time, he was and would always be the only person carrying that burden. And he tired of carrying it. After this, just as he had removed his glasses, he would remove that soulless, sarcastic and uncaring mask he had worn for years and set it down before his boss along with his handgun.

He would never atone for anything he had done over the years. To be honest, he didn't want to. What was done was done, his hands would never be washed of the bloodstains that had accumulated over the many years of work.

There was nothing different about this job. Nothing at all. His only reasoning was that this was the hardest chase he had faced, and it made him realize it was utterly worthless tarnishing his already tarnished soul further by taking lives under the command of a man for whom he had a great dislike.

It would all be over soon. He would pull the trigger as many times as necessary to ensure that he had hit the target (he was no marksman) and then he would simply turn heel and walk away from the bloodshed like he had so many times. Would this time be any different? Most certainly. He was to kill two at once, two people who were quite obviously in love. How pitiful and stupid. He was hardly in the mood.

He heard footsteps. His grip on the gun had gone slack. He tightened it.

Now was the time. Now.

His finger stroked the trigger, hesitant for an unfathomable reason. He heard the footsteps getting closer still. He gritted his teeth, why the reluctance now?

No. No more reluctance. This was a job and he would execute it. He was out of options.

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Tadase half ran across the enormous parking lot, stopping only briefly to catch his breath. The place had to be at least miles wide, at least. It was the biggest parking lot he had ever seen in his life.

As he paused, he scanned the area, desperately searching for Amu. Where could she be? The place seemed dead quiet and eerily so, not unlike a haunted house or a graveyard. The dark building stood menacingly against the dark sky of the early morning, and few windows were lit up. The cold stone of the building blotted out the stars it stood in front of, but not the moon. The brilliant, silver moon was directly behind the company building, bathing it in a mysterious silver glow and throwing dark, inky shadows before it.

This was the last place he wanted Amu to be. It was the last place even he wanted to be. The whole place had an uncomfortable aura. The chill in the air only completed the scary scene. He couldn't help the bad feeling he got. And what was unnerving was how quiet it was. No sign of a single human being. Some cars, sure, but no living, breathing people. What kind of place was this? What was Amu getting herself into?

He had to find her before something else did first.

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They slipped out the door then. Amu never again would take the feel of fresh air for granted. After being down in the tunnels it felt amazing. The dark, early morning was as silent as ever, and not a living soul was in sight.

Suddenly, Ikuto hugged her to him, wrapping his arms securely around her so her face was buried in his chest. His fingers ran through her hair and she could feel his breath against her neck.

Her cheeks colored lightly as she hugged him in return, pressing her face even closer to him as she let her eyes close halfway. He was always so warm, so safe feeling. She often felt so content whenever he embraced her. And at the same time, she had the strangest sense of deja vu. Had something like this happened before? She cast the thought aside. Of course not. If something this life changing had happened before, she would have undoubtedly remembered it.

She could hear his heartbeat, and it was comforting. Never again would she take this person for granted again. He seemed so fleeting now, like he might disappear at any second. Though he looked so strong and sure of himself, she couldn't help but get the feeling that he was going to simply vanish right before her eyes.

Amu quickly banished those paranoid thoughts. The last thing they both needed in a situation full of danger such as this one was useless, irrational worry and fear. However, she couldn't quite get rid of that sudden bad feeling. She hated this feeling, for it was starting to make her believe.

Ikuto sighed softly. "Sorry again."

She blinked, trying to process what he meant for a moment, but he spoke again.

"You know, they're after us again. My stepdad isn't done with us yet." He murmured, his voice cool.

She nodded in response. "I know. Will he really kill us though?"

She felt his grip on her tighten and she had to restrain a gasp. "Undoubtedly." He said, and fell silent. She held onto him worriedly. Would they really get out of this alive? She hoped so. She prayed with all her being that they would be able to live through this. If they could only live just through this, she would give anything up, anything. Her career, her money (what little she had), she would give it up for both of their lives. Why must something so simple as living be so complicated? She couldn't comprehend it.

"It's just unfair." She whispered. She looked up at him as he nodded silently. Of course, Ikuto had probably been through plenty of unfair things in life, but this had to be the most unfair of them all. Yes, she knew better than anyone that live wasn't fair, but why was that? Why couldn't the fates be kind to you every once in a while?

The two remained embracing for another moment. Everything was totally silent except for their quiet breathing, and both were tense and listening intently. Of course, someone was coming for them. Who and when was the question. How much longer? The suspense actually hurt.

She jumped suddenly at the sound of footsteps and he did as well, immediately releasing her and grabbing her hand, his eyes darting around as he searched for an escape. He began to run, tugging her along until an all-too-familiar voice called out to her.

"Amu!"

She gasped, stopping and stumbling. Clearly confused, Ikuto stopped as well, glancing back at her and at the person who had called out to her.

"T-Tadase?" She gasped in surprise. "You...followed me?" The horrible realization then sunk in. They would kill him too. There was no chance Tadase would live if he was here with them. "You have to go, now." She broke away from Ikuto's grasp and ran over to Tadase, worry in her eyes. She could hear Ikuto following behind her, wary.

He placed both hands on her shoulders. "Amu...I was worried about you. And..." He glanced up at Ikuto, furrowing his eyebrows. "Is this the thief...the one from the papers?" His voices and expression were incredulous before quickly changing to something that almost resembled anger.

"N-no, wait, Tadase, he's not bad at all, I swear it!" Tadase looked at her for a moment. "So this is...why you came here?"

Amu hung her head, staring at her shoes, her heart in her throat. "...I'm sorry. I had to come and save him, I had to. He was doing it for me."

Ikuto remained silent behind her. She wondered what he was thinking now.

Tadase removed his hands from her shoulders and looked from her to Ikuto, his face blank.

"Your life is in danger, Amu."

She felt like she had been hit by a ton of bricks. Not because of Tadase's words, but because of the way they were said. They seemed all too familiar. This was frightening.

"Tadase...please go. Please. Just go." She looked away from him, not wanting to see him go. She heard his footsteps as he left, and when she looked up, he was gone. It was almost as if he had just disappeared, like he hadn't even been there to begin with.

She walked over to Ikuto and placed her head on his chest, holding back tears. She had just saved his life, but why had she wanted him to stay? She shook off that thought. No, it was better for her never to be near Tadase again. A very small—almost nonexistent, even—part of her still loved him, still cared for him. She had to push that aside now. Right now she had to survive, live, and escape the doom that surely lay before her and Ikuto.

He lightly placed a hand at the back of her head. "Amu, we must go now."

She nodded slowly. "Lead the way."

He gently but firmly took her hand in his before turning around, walking quickly around a corner, only to come face to face with a man who wasn't someone she knew well, but someone's face whom she recognized.

"Without the glasses today, Nikaido?" Ikuto's voice was cool and his eyes were narrowed in distaste.

The man called Nikaido didn't reply, but simply took another step forward.

It all happened in a blur then.

Nikaido pulled a gun from his side, a dark, shiny deadly little thing. Ikuto shoved her away so that she landed on the cement painfully, hitting her head. She heard gunshots, several of them, and felt like she was the one who had been shot. Her head throbbing, vision blurred, she dizzily rose to her feet, one hand clutching the fabric over her heart.

Nikaido stood, the gun still raised, it's barrel smoking faintly. She looked at the man defiantly. Where was Ikuto? He wasn't..wasn't...was he?

He lowered the gun, looking at Amu for a moment before turning heel and walking away, lighting a cigarette and placing it between his teeth.

Amu stumbled about desperately. The blow to her head as well as her tears prevented her from seeing, and things suddenly seemed so dark and so blurry. It was too hard to see, too hard to stay conscious, just too, _too _hard.

As she walked she tripped, her hand landing in something wet, still faintly warm, and a little sticky. She raised the shaking hand to her face to examine it, seeing something she had only seen large quantities of in her worst nightmares.

Blood. So much of it, everywhere. It was dark, too dark, and there was too much blood. With dread, she tore her gaze from the pool up to a dark shape that she was all to familiar with.

She choked back a sob as she crawled over to Ikuto's body. His eyes were half open, staring up at the steadily lightening sky. The early morning sunshine washed over everything, and she could see now.

Ikuto was dead. The blood was undoubtedly his, and he was gone, gone far away.

She would never hear his witty teasing again. She would never feel the warmth and security and familiarity of his touch again. Never, never, never, again would she look up into those beautiful, gem-like eyes that would gaze back intensely with a fire that she so loved.

"So ends the thief's tale." She said in a voice that she hardly recognized as her own.

And with this, Amu put her head on his bloody chest and cried harder than she ever had in her entire life.

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Kazuomi Hoshina crossed his legs and folded his hands in satisfaction. His stupid stepson was done away with by now.

"Farewell, my ignorant, foolish, stepson."

Just at that moment, Nikaido walked into the room, a smoking cigarette between his teeth and his pistol held loosely in one hand.

The older man smiled sinisterly. "Ah, Nikaido. Excellent work, I expect you did your job as usual."

Nikaido stared at the man for a moment, his eyes cold and without their usual sarcasm. The director blinked when he realized his worker hadn't responded.

"Of course, sir."

The man smiled wider, nodding. "Excellent work. Dismissed."

Nikaido nodded in agreement. "Exactly, dismissed."

He was just about to ask what it was Nikaido meant by this until he threw the pistol as well as his identification badge upon the desk.

"I quit."

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Tadase had been staring up at the sky meaningfully until he heard the gunshots. He froze, his heart filled with terror.

"Amu..."

He ran as fast as he possibly could, taking a turn until he froze, looking on with horror as the rising sun illuminated all he needed to see.

There was an immense pool of blood, all of it flowing from a body that Amu was huddled over, her body shaking violently as she cried.

He willed his frozen body to move forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Amu...!"

She weakly shook him off. He tried again and she repeated the action.

"Leave me be." She mumbled.

Clenching his jaw, he pulled her up with both arms and she struggled and flailed crying out until she fell into his arms, sobbing. It was heartbreaking. He hugged her gently, wishing there was something he could do. He avoided looking at the body that lay on the ground only a few feet away.

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Utau lay in bed, unable to sleep. She hadn't felt like resting all night, and she was exhausted but simply could not sleep. She felt restless and disconcerted. Was her brother alright?

When the phone rang she squinted her eyes shut. However, the sound persisted so she stood, going to answer it.

Oh, how she wished she was truly asleep so she didn't have to deal with this now. She felt a sudden sense of foreboding as she reached for the received.

"Hello?"

She gripped firmly on to the railing. She would need something to hold on to for this.

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Amu sat upon Nagihiko's couch, a blanket about her shoulders and a totally expressionless look on her face. She had a completely full and untouched mug of tea in her hands that she gripped firmly, staring straight ahead but not really looking at anything.

Nagihiko stepped out of the kitchen, a sad smile on his face as he watched her.

"Say, Amu? Shall I play something for you?"

The girl remained silent. She didn't even register that he was there. He sighed. It had been like this for the past few hours.

When Tadase had shown up, half dragging a blood-covered Amu with him and raving about calling the police, he had yelled at Tadase to get himself together. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea at the time. He still remembered how white Tadase's face went.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he left the girl to herself again. The first thing he had done was have Rima change her. That stubborn girlfriend of his normally would have said 'no way' to something like that, but under the circumstances, she listened.

So now, here Amu sat. Tadase and Rima had gone to talk to the police, and the police would then want to speak to Amu. Nagihiko knew full well that they wouldn't be able to delay this for long. Even though Ikuto was a thief, he was undeserving of what had happened to him.

In the short while that Nagihiko had known him, he seemed to be a decent person. Especially sacrificing himself in that was for Amu. Nagihiko sighed again. Amu was alive, yes, but mentally, he worried.

Surely she was seeing that death over and over again in her mind. Surely she was beyond devastated by all of this. From what he could tell, she had truly and seriously loved Ikuto more than she had Tadase.

He returned to the living room where Amu was, and this time, she looked up at him. Her eyes were very, very sad and very, very lost. Not unlike that of a small child who had gotten separated from their mother.

"Nagi...hiko...?" He quickly dashed over to her.

"Amu, are you okay?" He took the untouched mug from her hands and clasped both her her hands tightly between both of his.

"...I hit my head...didn't I." It sounded more like a statement.

He nodded. "Yes. The doctors said it was nothing to worry about." The emotional trauma, however, was a different story altogether.

She only nodded, looking down at the ground.

"Nagihiko..."

"Yes?"

"Can you...can you play that song? The one you did last time?" He smiled sadly and stood, nodding.

"Of course, Amu, of course."

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People hustled and bustled about the streets, picking up the newspaper from vendors.

Some people gasped as they read the headline news. That thief? That famous thief, he was dead? There were murmurs among friends. He was shot, apparently, shot several times in the chest.

There was even speculation that he had a lover. A lover? Who? No one knew her name, only that she was an author.

So he's gone, really gone then? Apparently so.

Who shot him though? No one knows, not yet.

Then just as soon as the shock occurred, it passed, and they flipped to the next page, their murmurs changing to light, casual conversation about things like the weather, or an upcoming sports event.

A girl out on the streets picked up a newspaper with a sad, lonely smile.

No one noticed how the girl's eyes were fixed on the image of the handsome, cocky thief's photograph on the first page. No one noticed how she stopped to stare at it. People continued, people lived on and forgot if they did notice.

_'So ends the thief's tale...'_

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...Okay, that was pretty hard to write, honestly. I hope I did well though. Please let me know what you all think...I'd love to know how I did, this was the most difficult chapter to write that I've ever written in all my writing of fanfiction!

Please review...the next chapter will be the last.


	15. An Immortal Story

Okay, so...this is the end of Stolen.

I'd like to seriously thank every single one of you who have supported me. Really and truly, thank you all so very much. I couldn't have gotten all the way through this without your awesome reviews. :3

And if you guys liked this story, I hope you'll be reading my next Amuto story, Seductive Fragrance! And thank you all again. ;3

Also, this chapter will pick up from that little part at the beginning of chapter 1. So you might want to refresh your memory if you've forgotten.

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**Stolen**

_Final Part:_

An Immortal Story

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_**We have the courage to go to the future  
**_

_**So don't get lost in the past you wanted  
**_

_**Now go back to the real smile that you still have...**_

_**-Parallel Hearts by FictionJunction

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**_

_Seven years later..._

She gazed at the notebook for a moment, shaking her head sadly. How horrible, how ridiculous that she was still affected. She felt like she could no longer let him go, not really. He was the most important person in her life and he was now never returning. She had accepted this...

Or so she thought.

Amu didn't understand why she couldn't quite let go. With a sigh, she picked up the notebook, carefully, as if it was made of glass and placed it in her purse. There was some thinking she had to do, some serious and long thinking. She couldn't put this off any more. It had been so many years yet her heart still ached and she felt like she was carrying an immense weight on her shoulders that she couldn't, just couldn't drop off.

She glanced around the room she had lived in for so many years before turning away wordlessly. Her things were now all packed, and she would be moving somewhere nearer to the city, nearer to the main office of the publishing company.

Over the years, Amu Hinamori had become an even more amazing author than she had before. She wrote books like there was no tomorrow, and almost every one of them were raved about by the public. People practically hung on to every word she wrote, everything she said in an interview.

Because of all this, she had more than enough money to do whatever she pleased with it. However, she had insisted to remain in her small, suburban home, claiming it was more beneficial to her writing than the city was.

However, she had given in just recently and decided to get herself a nice apartment building in the city. She had decided the view of the city was nice, and might be just as inspiring to her creative side.

Amu slung her bag over her shoulder as she headed to her car—yes, car—and slid in the driver's seat. She fumbled for her key in her bag before sticking it in the ignition and twisting, listening as her car hummed to life.

She spared one final glance at the home she had known for so long and drove away, away from her old life, away from her memories of the past ten years.

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He sighed and twirled the cord of the received around his finger.

"Ah, yes, of course but...I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'll have to cancel the deal."

He restrained himself from sighing again as the man on the other line began to shout.

"Forgive me sir, but it is in the best interest of our company that we use a...different story for a movie production."

The man broke out into another rant, but Tadase cut him off.

"I am sorry for this, but good bye and perhaps one of your future works will be used by the company."

He heard the man begin to shout again, but he hung up this time. Tadase sighed heavily now, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. They hadn't found a decent story or script for a movie in the longest while. His boss had been turning down offer after offer, claiming none of them were good enough quality. He persisted in asking Tadase to speak to that author, that old friend of his...Amu Hinamori.

Tadase had politely refused, and his boss had sighed grumpily and told him to search for other prospects. So that was what he had been doing.

And no, it wasn't working.

He straightened up and in his chair and folded his hands on top of his desk, glancing around his office. Amu had become distant after that day. She was still the same person, thankfully, but it had always seemed like something was missing. He hadn't spoken to the young woman in over a year now, and from what Nagihiko said, the same went for him and Rima.

What was she up to? He didn't know. He only knew she was constantly talked about in the news, he saw her in interviews and occasionally at bookstores for signing but he never spoke to her. Somehow, he didn't think she would have wanted him to.

A few years after the death of the thief, she had tried to move on by dating others. He should know, he had been one of them. Needless to say, things didn't work out and it was ended. From what he knew, she hadn't tried dating anyone since three years ago.

Tadase wished he could talk to her again, if only to be friends. But he didn't know how to talk to her anymore. She seemed too far away.

Little did he know how soon that distance would be bridged.

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She pulled the had low over her eyes. No one had recognized her. Good.

She pulled the jacket more closely about her shoulders as she maneuvered through throngs of people. City life was like this, it seemed. She brushed her blond hair out of her eyes as she walked, violet eyes scanning her surroundings as she did so.

The name Utau Hoshina had become a very well known one in the past few years. It was wisest to stay undiscovered when on an escapade out in the city. Thus the disguise. She hadn't ever been recognized when out like this.

Utau strolled quickly, her long legs keeping her at a decent pace, and still no one spared a glance. She maneuvered easily through he throngs of people, careful not to bump anyone or look up into anyone's face. However, as she passed a bookstore, she couldn't help but look up. It wasn't the book specifically that had caught her attentions. Not the title, not the cover art, nor the price or number of the books place strategically at the front of the store.

It was the author's name. Amu Hinamori.

She had heard of the young woman's achievements as much as anyone else had. She had read a few of her works before, but wasn't really an avid literature fan. However, seeing her name brought up the name and face of another, someone who she didn't want to think of so often, but was very hard to forget. It wasn't anyone's fault but her very own stepfather's, she had acknowledged this. But even so, she and the other woman hadn't ever been especially good friends. She doubted she would ever be able to get along with her.

With a faint sigh, Utau tore her gaze from the books and walked briskly away, adjusting her hat and sunglasses in the process.

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"Nagihiko."

The long haired man only smiled nervously at the eerily patient expression on his petite wife's face. That was almost scarier than her wrath. _Almost._

"Yes, Rima? Is...something the matter?" It was best not to beat around the bush.

"Why yes, dear husband, there just might be." Ouch. She never spoke that way. So it was serious.

In response to his uncomfortable silence, she pulled an object off of her lap and place it carefully on the polished surface of the small table between them, sliding it just so that it was equally distanced from either person. "I assume you know what this is." She stated, sending Nagihiko yet another patient look.

Nagihiko leaned over slightly to glimpse the object. Why yes, he knew what that was. Yes, he knew what it meant. And _yes, _he certainly could guess why Rima was taking this attitude with him at the moment. He swallowed nervously and tried to think of something to say.

"Is this a bad thing?"

Rima blinked, considering that. He was expecting her to blow up at him any second now.

"That's a good question." He avoided sighing in relief. He refocused his gaze on the slender object that lay between them.

"When did you find out?"

"Just a few hours ago."

"...I see." He paused. He was treading on thin ice here. One wrong word and he'd be plunged head first into freezing waters.

"And how will you take responsibility?" Nagihiko blanched.

"Are you implying this is...my fault?" He raised both eyebrows, staring at her.

She met his gaze steadily, but didn't say a word.

"If we're married, then it's fine isn't it?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. Wrong word. He could hear the ice crack now.

However, she only sighed. "It's fine." Nagihiko could only blink. He rose from where he sat, smiling slightly. He extended a hand to her which she took, her golden eyes wide with slight surprise. He tugged her to her feet and inclined his head.

"I, for one, think it's a thrilling thing. Aren't you looking forward to teaching our child comedy and such?"

And with that statement, Nagihiko had brightened Rima's outlook on parenthood.

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So, the new apartment. Amu sighed, looking around the place. Honestly, it was huge. But it looked so lonely and empty, somehow. The movers had come and gone, and her many things were in boxes that were shoved back against the walls. Her shoes tapped quietly against the polished, hardwood floor as she went to set her purse down atop a small table by the door. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, sparing the place one last glance before bending down to lift the smaller, more battered box that contained her notebooks.

There were so many. She bent to pick a certain notebook off the top of the stack within, holding it with slightly trembling fingers.

She sat down on the small sofa that would probably not always be in that particular location and opened the pages, slowly, carefully. Ah, so nostalgic. _The Cheshire Cat Thief. _ It was a tile hastily scrawled in her own handwriting, seven years ago. It had appeared in her mind the night she had met her living, breathing inspiration.

It had been so long since Amu had even looked at this notebook. It hurt far too much to even think about. But it was the undeniable truth. She had written a wonderful tale, all about Ikuto Tsukiyomi, the thief that had stolen her away. She trailed her fingers lightly over the pages, over the words she had written. Her words. Her own words...all about him. Her words couldn't have captured his appearance any better than a photograph might have. So detailed.

She gave a shaky sigh as she leafed through the pages, scanning the content. However, as she reached the end of the notebook, she frowned. It wasn't complete. It wasn't complete for a reason; after he had gone she couldn't find the will to finish the story.

Inexplicably, she felt the urge to finish it.

Despite the fact that her things were still packed up, despite the fact that she probably should unpack them, and despite the fact that the sky outside was darkening, she wrote. She wrote, and wrote, and wrote until she needed a second notebook. Then she continued to write.

Even though her hands ached at some point, she wrote anyway. She had a computer, she knew, but somehow it just wouldn't feel write if she just typed this story up. It was meant to be handwritten, she just knew it.

Finally, after many hours of painstaking writing, editing, description and storytelling, she was done. It was complete. _The thief's tale..._

She held up the pair of notebooks; one old, one new, and hugged them both to her chest. Her treasure. The story she had feared completing for so many years was actually _done. _A few tears of relief ran down her cheeks at the realization.

This had to be published. It had to be. There was no wondering why. I just had to be done. Tomorrow, she decided. First thing tomorrow. She would head to her editor's office.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She was dreaming. She knew she had to be. This was because, well, Ikuto was in it. And he was certainly dead.

_She was sure it was him. Though her eyes were closed, the scent, the warmth...it was all too familiar. Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. Sure enough, there he was. She hadn't seen him in so many years, not even in her dreams._

_Despite this, she felt no sadness, none whatsoever. "Ikuto..." Her own voice sounded strange and distant. He didn't speak, only smiled softly, holding her hand to his cheek when she reached for his face. He seemed so real now, so solid._

"_Your story...I finished it you know. I did." He didn't speak again, only leaned in to press his lips to her forehead. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, but willed herself to keep speaking._

_"I've missed you." She said in a hushed voice. His eyes bored into hers. She took a moment to examine the surrounding of her dreams. It was white, very bright, and very dreamlike and unsubstantial looking. Where, she couldn't tell._

_She returned her gaze to his, meeting his eyes. "Amu..." Ah, that voice. That oh-so-familiar voice. She trembled slightly as he brushed the hair from her eyes before leaning down to kiss her—_

Amu sat up in bed with a start. She hurriedly brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes, and headed to the bathroom for a much-needed hot shower.

As she let the water flow over her skin, she couldn't help but reflect on that dream. She hadn't dreamed of him since before his death. She had though of him often, but never dreamed. That dream must have come to her because she finished that book. Ah...that book. The thought alone was enough to make her turn off the water and wrap a towel around herself.

Sure enough, the two notebooks were leaning against her purse. She hadn't imagined writing after all. With a faint smile, she returned to her bedroom to change.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Tadase sighed to himself as he set his coffee mug down, folding his hands in his lap. The phone had been dead silent today. That was rather unusual. He had been up nearly all night hunting down an interesting project for their movie. But, alas, his efforts proved fruitless. The frustration and stress was all building up and it just made him want to groan aloud and give up on the whole thing. Something like that, however, would be extremely out of character for him and if he dared to complain to his boss, it would get him fired.

He leaned back against his chair, far from content. If only some amazing author produced some amazing work that they would work with. That would make his life just that much easier. He sat up again and drummed his fingers idly on the desk, having completed all his paperwork the night before. He had pulled an all-nighter searching around for good material. It seemed like tonight would probably lack sleep as well. He massaged his temples with a soft sigh.

Amu. How he longed for one of her amazing stories....no. Even just to speak to her again would be a blessing.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The woman stopped typing for a moment, adjusting her spectacles in surprise. "I'm sorry, what...?"

Amu sat in the chair before her editor, determination written on her face and her eyes narrowed slightly. In her lap, she had the two notebooks.

"I have a new story."

The editor sighed. "You have a series to write, don't you think this should--"

"I'm sorry, this can't wait. If I wait any longer, this story will lose its importance. I have already waited seven years now. You know the story."

The older woman sighed, removing her specs and extending a hand. "Let me have a read." Amu did as she asked.

The ticking of the clock and the faint rustle of pages being turned were the only sounds in the room. Amu kept her hands fisted in her lap and didn't look up at her editor, except when she asked Amu the occasional question about something she had written, or informed her of an error or misspelling.

After what seemed like an age, the editor closed the second notebook, finished with her reading. She replaced the spectacles on her face and sighed, staring out the window for a moment.

Amu looked up at the older woman's face, her countenance unreadable.

"Amu."

"Yes?"

"This story...is based off true events...?"

Amu swallowed hard. What was the point in lying? "Yes." She gripped the sides of the chair tightly now as she met her editor's gaze. Amu kept her expression carefully blank, but her editor's expression was melancholic.

"This is a wonderful piece of work. Literature-wise, not your best, but the story..."

Amu watched her editor's reaction carefully, saying nothing.

A sigh. "Very well then. We will publish this."

Amu couldn't control the smile that spread across her face at her words. Her editor smiled slightly in return as Amu inclined her head respectfully before turning and leaving the office. It took all her self control not to skip the whole way home.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was the day of the release for Amu Hinamori's new book. Fans of the author everywhere had undoubtedly heard of the release. The young pink haired woman had participated in a few interviews to speak about it. She said it was based off her own life! This was exciting for any fan.

So the second the bookstores opened, fans rushed in to claim their own copy of her new book, _The Cheshire Cat Thief. _No one knew exactly what it was about, but longed to read it anyway.

As Amu headed down the street, she held back a smile at the sight of the overcrowded bookstore and people fighting through one another just to get a book. This book was far different from any of the others she had written, she knew. The style was slightly different, everything about it was just...different.

Watching people so eager to read her story made her feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, as if she had been freed from an enormous burden. Because of this, Amu felt rather light and considerably more cheery than she had been in years. But now, there was only one thing left her gut was telling her to do.

It was time to go see Tadase.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sure, he had wanted to see Amu. Sure, he had missed her. Sure, he had wanted her story for a movie.

But never had Tadase Hotori expected to see his high school sweetheart come storming in through the company doors, her face absolutely glowing with happiness and a copy of her new book clutched in one hand.

"Tadase!" She smiled widely and dashed toward him, throwing her arms around him with a giggle. She was definitely not acting her age. He smiled despite his tiredness and returned the embrace, his expression shocked.

"Amu, what are you doing here?" He pushed her gently away from him. She looked almost excited now, still smiling widely. "Come, let's go to my office." He took her hand and led her down the hall to his office, closing the door behind him.

"I haven't heard from you in a while. How have you been?" Amu's expression faltered slightly.

"Tadase, I'm sorry, I—"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand as he took a seat behind his desk after pulling up a chair for her. "No, I understand. But tell me, what brings you here today, to see me at work?"

Amu lifted up the book with an awkward smile. "You have heard about this, right?"

He nodded. "Of course." If this conversation was headed where he thought it was heading...

Amu placed the book before him on the desk. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at her. "I want you to read it, and...I was also wondering if your offer from all those years ago still stands..."

Tadase had leaped from his chair, knocking it to the floor with a bang. Amu's mouth fell open, not expecting this behavior from him. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or worry, so she stared in surprise.

However, Tadase then smiled and took one of her hands in both of his.

"I would be more than happy to read it, Amu." The young woman flushed lightly at the sincerity in his voice as well as at the contact.

"Thank you."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She lay on her bed with a sigh. She was dressed very simply; nothing more than a t-shirt and sweats. Her pink hair was fanned out on her pillow and her arms were folded contentedly behind her head. Despite her appearance, however, Amu was far from content.

It had been a week since her visit with Tadase and still no phone call. Maybe he didn't like the book because of what—or rather, who—it was about? That was worrying. She still felt like she had to have this story made into a movie or else that last weight wouldn't be lifted off her chest. That and she felt it would do him justice. She could finally let go without any worries.

She shifted, throwing occasional glances at the phone. Sigh.

Just then, it rang.

She shot up, answering it almost immediately, slightly breathless. "Hello?"

"Ah, Amu?"

She blinked at the sound of the familiar voice. "Nagihiko!" She exclaimed, crossing her legs and clutching at the receiver. "How are you?"

"I was just about to ask the same of you." He laughed. "But I'm doing pretty well, other than...well, some things going on..."

Amu blinked. "What sorts of things?"

"Ah...well..." His reluctance was apparent.

"Oh, if you don't want to tell me it's fine."

"Well...Rima is...pregnant."

Amu gasped loudly, her eyes widening. "Oh, Nagihiko, that's...! That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

He laughed nervously. "Thank you. Oh, but I called for another reason."

Amu tilted her head curiously. "Oh? What for?"

She twirled the cord of the phone idly around her finger.

"I understand you gave Tadase your new book about a week ago, yes?" Amu bit her lip. So it had come to this?

"Yes. Why?"

"Well..." He trailed off, as if considering how to continue. "Tadase read it, and gave it to me to read as well. Then he gave it to his boss to look over, since the man doesn't read much, and even he read part of it. To put it simply..."

Amu waited with baited breath.

"I'm sorry I'm the one to tell you this, but Tadase is sleeping. So I am calling you instead. Do you give the rights for your novel to be made into a film?"

She almost screamed then and there, but luckily held it in. Instead, she managed a rather choked sounding, "Yes."

She could almost hear his smile. "Great! I'll let Tadase know. It was nice talking to you again Amu. Bye!"

"Bye." She didn't hang up until she heard a click. Numbly, she rolled over on her stomach, eyes wide and heart racing. It worked. Her book would become a movie. An actual movie. _Her _book. _Ikuto's_ story. A movie.

She began laughing and couldn't stop for a while. When she finally did, she was so breathless and her stomach muscles aches horribly. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling with a faint smile.

"I did it, Ikuto. I did it."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Fans were clustered about an electronics store. Every television was showing the same thing, and that was Amu Hinamori's interview. It was the day before the release of the film adaptation of her book that was rumored to have been based off her life. No one knew for sure, but so it was said, and so she said.

Amu was seated before the interviewer with a very professional smile on her face, waiting for the woman to ask her next question.

"So tell us, Miss Hinamori, whatever inspired you to write this novel? Surely there was some reason for your sudden inspiration."

Amu laughed lightly. "To be honest, I started writing this seven years ago, around the beginning of my career. I never had the will to finish it though."

"Oh, and why is that?"

Amu's smile turned slightly melancholic. "I was...writers block, I suppose you could say. Because my inspiration...died." Her lips twitched at the irony of that statement.

"So the thief in your story. Is he a real person, or someone you created? He swept the main character off her feet, it seems."

Her smile returned. "He's as real to me as any real person. I suppose you could say some of those events in that story were based off my own life." Some...more like almost all.

"So what do you think of your novel being made into a feature film? Proud? How about it's impending release? I know fans everywhere are dying to see it."

"Well," She began, "I think it's a wonderful thing. To see these things in my book come to life...again before my eyes is a thrilling thought. Proud? I suppose I could say I'm proud. I'm eager to see what fans will think about it, having met the cast and seen some of the sets myself." She beamed.

"So, any last thoughts on your story overall?"

Amu's lips twitched again. "I feel honored to have written this story, though honestly, it wrote itself." How true that was. "Without my...inspiration, this story would have never existed. And if I could, I'd love to thank that inspiration for bringing this idea to me."

The interviewer smiled. "So, these are words from the super-novelist, Amu Hinamori about her latest book, _The Cheshire Cat Thief. _In other news..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

She exited the movie theater before it ended. She knew how her story ended. Was it a crime to not want to witness its end again?

Amu shook her head, wiping tears away. Ridiculous, for her to still cry like this. Ridiculous. She had so many good, wonderful things to look forward to in life. Yes, it was time for her to move on. She sighed to herself, slowly lifting her gaze to the sky until she bumped into someone. "Ah, excuse me..." She was staring into a pair of familiarly colored eyes. Her heart was caught in her through for a moment before Utau bent to retrieve her glasses, putting them back over her eyes. "Amu Hinamori." She nodded stiffly before walking away. As she walked away, however, she could have sworn she heard a small, reluctantly uttered 'thanks' as the lovely blond singer strode stiffly away.

Amu smiled faintly as she straightened up and walked away.

Though Ikuto's life had ended, though his story was complete, in a way, it wasn't really. Stories couldn't die like people could. And if someone's life, someone's essence was forever caught between the pages of a book, then wouldn't that make one immortal? Especially if there were people out there who were willing to open that book, to turn those pages and see that persons life within.

As long as that story existed, as long as there was someone to write it or tell it, that would make someone immortal. Stories themselves were immortal, in a sense. They couldn't die even if their words were burned away. As long as someone remembered, they lived forever.

Yes, that was a good way to think of it. To her, Ikuto's story was an immortal one, and maybe, someone out there besides her would be there to tell it. Just maybe.

She turned her face to the sky, smiling as tears continued to make her way down her face. She was stolen by a thief, lived through unforgettable and painful experiences, but she was willing to remember them all, all for the sake of keeping his tale immortal.

So, he hadn't _really_ died, had he?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

My goodness. I'm worn out from writing this. And a little saddened.

It's the end of Stolen everyone! I love and adore you all for sticking through this with me, and I hope you all enjoyed the final chapter! Thank you so much for reading! I hope I'll be seeing your thoughts in some of my other works ;3

~Tamashii


	16. Epilogue

...Okay. I don't know what to say about this, but I'm amazed I'm even writing this.

I was rereading through all your fantastic reviews - they make me feel so amazing - and I felt like writing this. I had played around with the idea not too long after Stolen had ended, and I do hope this won't take the charm out of things. It's more or less meant to be something small and poetic, my final tribute to this incredible story I've somehow managed to produce.

My writing style has changed slightly since finishing the story, but what can you do.

This is short - very, very short in fact - but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

Please read, and as usual I hope you'll be kind enough to review :3

* * *

_Epilogue:_

**The Funny Flavors of Life**

**

* * *

**For Amu, life was sweet these days, though perhaps more bittersweet than anything else. She always thought it odd to compare life to a flavor, but if she had to choose, it was sweet, with only the faintest hint of bitter thrown in.

Almost like dark chocolate. It was the closest edible thing she could think of comparing her life to. Dark chocolate.

Firstly, the sweet.

She was at the top of her game these days, writing like she was hell-bent on it. Her hard work paid off. Her books sold like never before, she was called into interviews more times than she had fingers and toes, and had more money than she sometimes knew what to do with.

Amu wasn't the only one whose business was booming.

From what she had last heard, Tadase and Nagihiko had been doing exceptionally well, too. Thanks to the production of her ever so famous novel, their company had been creating epic film masterpieces that left even her stunned.

And, of course, Rima's pregnancy. Every time she was around the petite woman she would always ask about it, and Rima would respond in that irritated yet somehow endearing way of hers. But no matter how snide her comments were, Rima's expression glowed.

It had been a long time since Amu had felt this content. She had good friends, a good job, and a roof over her head. A very nice roof over her head.

But, with a pang, when it came to dark chocolate, there was always that very faint taste of bitter.

Despite how she acted, she hadn't forgotten Ikuto. She had dated plenty of times since, of course, but none of those relationships ever fully satisfied her or made her feel complete as the one with him had.

Then there was his stunningly beautiful sister.

Every time she saw one of Utau's music videos, or heard her voice on the radio, she felt that oh-so-familiar pang in her heart that she only felt whenever she was thinking about Ikuto. She was thankful it wasn't a terribly _painful_ pang like it used to be; only a faint twinge reminding her of what once was.

She still dreamed, of course. Occasionally, Ikuto would be the star in these dreams of hers.

But, her most recent dream had both confused and terrified her.

Usually, when she dreamed of Ikuto, it was in a far away foggy place unknown to her.

This time, it was in the crowded streets of the city; a familiar path that she often walked whenever she wanted to give her editor a new manuscript.

People flooded the sidewalk, and Amu could only suck in a breath as she saw him - standing across the street, nonchalant as ever, that irritating smirk ever present on his face...

When she tried to catch up with him, he only moved more quickly. The shadowy shapes of the people obscured her vision and movement, preventing her from following dream-Ikuto any further. He turned back to her, shooting her one final smirk before she shot up in bed, sweat beading her forehead as she tried to steady her breathing.

She shuddered, shaking her head and mumbling nonsense to herself. What a ridiculous dream. What a weird dream. Most of all, what a _terrifying_ dream. She had never seen her dreams play out her feelings so well. He was there, always there, but forever out of reach, flickering in and out of her thoughts.

Amu wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, taking a shuddering breath.

She needed to go out.

She glanced at the time. It was barely 8 AM. Taking a walk at this hour wasn't exactly that abnormal.

So she quickly changed into something comfortable and warm, considering it was fall, and put on a hat for safety measures. These days she had grown a fondness for hats, and not to hide her identity, simply because they were comfortable and easy to wear, usually.

Slipping on her shoes, she exited her apartment, checking it was locked before she left.

* * *

The cool morning air tasted delicious.

It tasted of a new day, a fresh start, and ever so faintly of pollution.

She sighed faintly at the thought; she was sure all these vehicles would be the death of them all someday.

Amu could smell various things as she walked - the fresh coffee wafting from the small cafe, the paper smell of the newspapers, the soft aroma of flowers from the florist - everything had its own smell, and since each was so familiar, it was comforting.

She hummed softly to herself, realizing fully that it was one of Utau's new songs.

Life, she thought, was funny sometimes. It was happy, it was sad, it was everything in between. It was easy, it was hard, it was fair, and it was not. Just as these different things had different scents, the different things in life had their own unique flavors.

Happiness tasted of something you loved. Perhaps it was chocolate, as it was for Amu. Perhaps it was the warm sweetness of a homemade apple pie. Perhaps it was a favorite pasta eaten once long ago.

Sadness was something bitter, terrible tasting. Perhaps it was like something old and rancid. Perhaps it was even spicy.

It was funny, though, how no one stopped to think about things like this. Maybe it was because she was a writer and saw the world in different ways than most would even consider seeing it. Maybe. Maybe.

As she walked, she sighed softly to herself. She always had the oddest epiphanies when she was out walking. This had happened as well, after she had finished Ikuto's book...

A flash of color caught her eye and she paused, wondering why it seemed so familiar. Her golden eyes darted about, trying to find that color again amidst all the gray, washed out colors of a tired morning.

Then, she found it.

There was a woman, holding the hand of a little boy.

The pair weaved in and out of the crowd, avoiding businessmen, vendors, and random passerby. The mother was smiling softly and the boy seemed content as well. They seemed like a happy pair.

But that wasn't what caught her attention.

That boy. He couldn't have been older than five or so. His hair was a tousled midnight mess and his eyes were a beautiful indigo. They were eyes she had seen only on two other people in her life, one of whom was dead.

This boy was nearly the spitting image of him.

And all she could do was watch in stunned silence as the pair walked by, neither one sparing her a second glance. She was just another woman on the street, another random passerby.

Ah - there it was, that familiar twang.

Amu smiled softly, feeling oddly...happy. She didn't know why, but she felt oddly elated.

It was all coincidence wasn't it? Did coincidence even exist in this world? She seriously wondered.

But it was a funny thing, this.

But it wasn't going to bother her.

The twang was fainter than ever before this time, like a reminder of something so very long ago.

Amu realized, however, with astounding sureness that...it really, truly didn't hurt anymore. There was always a piece of her mind that had clung to him, which was why she dreamed.

Something told her that dream from earlier would certainly be her last of him. And somehow, it wasn't all that terrifying.

...The emotions that came with it, though, had an inexplicable flavor indeed.

* * *

"Is something wrong, dear?"

"No, mommy...I thought I saw somebody I knew. But it wasn't."

Even so, the boy wondered. He wondered until his mother offered ice cream, and the thoughts of the encounter were all but banished from his childish mind.

* * *

And, how do you all feel about that?

This nagged and nagged and nagged and has been nagging me for some time.

I had to put it up, I just HAD to.

Please review, and thank you. This offcially ties off the knot in things. I'm sorry if you didn't like it, but it was tugging at the back of my mind so much recently that it became annoying.

-smacks idea-


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